Two Hearts -- Elizabeth and Nathan
by Susan Firth
Summary: From their very first meeting, this is an imagining of Elizabeth and Nathan falling in love, as they surely are starting to do on "When Calls The Heart." Nathan is more of a romantic than any of us could guess, and Elizabeth is destined to be swept off her feet. Sad as it may be, Jack is gone, and time heals even the most broken of hearts. Elizabeth deserves to be happy.
1. Chapter 1

Elizabeth shifted little Jack slightly under the mound of towels that enveloped him. The stove kept the upstairs rooms in the row house nice and warm in the Hope Valley winters, but she sometimes worried that he might catch a chill after his bath downstairs. His rosy cheeks and sweet smile told her he was fine as she kissed him and felt the warmth of his soft skin on her lips.

"You love your baths so much, don't you?" She snuggled her nose into his neck, smelling the light fragrance of soap and producing a little hiccup of laughter from him.

Elizabeth loved this time of the evening. After sending Laura off with her thanks, she could put aside schoolwork and the cares of the day and just be with little Jack. Lately he had been struggling out of Laura's arms when his mother came to the door, running on wobbly legs across the wood floor and into her arms. She never tired of feeling his sturdy and quickly growing body solid in her hands as she lifted him up. His joy at seeing her, his giggling cries of "Mama!" – these were the highlights of her day.

As she gently rubbed his downy blonde hair of the last of the bathwater, she passed the small table that held her treasured photos of little Jack's father. Standing alone, proud and solemn in his red serge, and again in uniform smiling at their wedding with the love of Hope Valley around them. The photo he'd taken of himself and Elizabeth in front of the mountains on the day he'd told her he was leaving for a new post. The last photo of them, taken on their honeymoon as they traveled together to Fort Clay and what was supposed to be a safe posting to train young Mounties.

She had journeyed back alone, full of happiness, steeped in the love they had shared, dreaming of a future when Jack would finally come home, and they could build their house on the hill and start a family.

Two months later Jack was gone, and now, a year and half since that horrible day, Elizabeth was surprised to find herself with a measure of peace. As she had written in her journal, more and more she was focusing on the joy she felt in Jack's love rather than the grief she suffered in his passing.

She could only admit this to herself – but Elizabeth had come to a realization as she grieved for her beloved Jack. She had seen him off so many times, spent so many hundreds of hours in worry, and endured sleepless nights filled with the terror of losing him. When the worst happened the grief consumed her, but at least there was no more fear. She wondered how she would get up each day, but she didn't scan the headlines with adrenaline coursing through her body. She cried at being robbed of their future, but gunshots no longer made her ask frantically where Jack was. She was numb, and the thing she could never share with anyone was that the numbness brought her some relief.

Jack would never have stopped fighting the good fight, nor would she have wanted him to. It was in his blood. He called it his destiny. Elizabeth knew that he'd never intended to fall in love and the fact that he cared for her so deeply caused a constant push and pull inside him.

In her grief, Elizabeth wondered at times if he was ever fully happy in either place – at home with her or out on the trail doing his job. He was always saying goodbye to something or someone he loved, and she felt as if she was always saying goodbye to him.

Still, their love was undeniable, and Elizabeth wouldn't trade one second of the time she'd had with Jack. It was complicated, and blissful, and terrifying, and the happiest she could ever imagine being. She didn't choose for it to be over, but it was. Now Elizabeth had to ask herself what the rest of her life held in store.

She looked at the perfect face just inches away from hers – and thanked God fervently again for the gift of this child.

Little Jack's eyes were closed now on her shoulder, his rhythmic breathing beginning to form into a soft snore. With her free hand Elizabeth reached out to the table and held up her favorite photo from the honeymoon. She positioned it gently next to her son's face. _Their_ son's face.

She smiled, seeing the slightly wide-set eyes with impossibly long lashes and the strong nose that came from Jack. She could also see the rosebud mouth that was so much like hers, and the beginnings of a heart-shaped face very similar to her own in the photo. Their child was both of them.

Replacing the photo on the table, Elizabeth ran her finger along the frame and felt a fine layer of dust. How many times had she cleaned it since she'd placed it there? She'd thought for a long while that her heart would need dusting as well, but a revelation last spring had been the beginning of a path back for Elizabeth.

She was talking with Nathan Grant, the new constable in Hope Valley. They were discussing Nathan's niece, Allie, and her difficulty making friends in school.

"I believe she pushes people away before they have the chance to get close to her," Elizabeth said.

Nathan's brow furrowed. "Why would she do something like that?"

"To protect herself. If she pushes people away, she doesn't have to worry…"

As she was speaking, an understanding swept through Elizabeth and she paused, eyes fixed on Nathan but not seeing him. She was suddenly aware that she gave love to friends, neighbors, and her students; she loved Little Jack, her sisters, her parents, Rosemary, Lee, Bill, Abigail, Clara and Jesse. But that other kind of love - for a partner, a person to walk through life with, that part of her seemed to have been lost.

She finished her sentence about Allie to Nathan, but she knew now that she was talking about herself.

"If she pushes people away, she doesn't have to worry about losing them."

For a long time, Elizabeth had reconciled herself to the fact that she had been given one great love in her life and that asking for another would be greedy, even if she felt ready for it. It had taken her until now to understand that there was also a component of protecting herself from another loss. If she lost another love, she didn't think she could survive it.

From a small drawer below the photos, Elizabeth pulled out a letter. It was yellowing a little and had been folded and refolded so many times that the ink was wearing away in the crease. The letter from Jack was given to her by Abigail after he died.

She had often read the lines saying that he would always be with her and watching over her, but tonight her eyes drifted to another line. She had dismissed it as impossible since the first time she'd read it, but she had begun to allow the words in Jack's own precious hand to enter her thoughts.

"I need you to promise me one thing, Elizabeth. You'll open your heart to love again."

Before she could stifle it, a picture leapt into her mind. It was a Mountie in red serge, his hat smartly set across his forehead. His eyes were soft and slightly puzzled and the faintest of smiles tugged at one corner of his mouth.

But it wasn't Jack. It was Nathan.

"Oh!" Elizabeth whispered, fearful of waking little Jack. He stirred, and she quickly put the letter back into the drawer and moved over to the kitchen table where his pajamas were waiting. Gently, she awakened him with kisses.

"Isn't Mama the silliest thing, Jack? What is she thinking? Doesn't she know that Nathan Grant hasn't got the slightest bit of interest in her?" She laid Jack down in the towels and got him quickly diapered and dressed in warm flannel while cooing to him the whole time.

"We already tried that, didn't we? And Constable Grant assured us there was nothing keeping him here." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips as she walked with Jack over to the stove to put another piece of wood in. She added, under her breath, "Though why he is still here is a mystery, isn't it?" She smiled and tilted her head at her boy, who was just thrilled by whatever she was saying, because he heard it as love.

Laughing softly to herself, Elizabeth nuzzled him and whispered, "I love you, little man." She smiled down at him, her eyes soft. "You are so very uncomplicated."

With little Jack happily playing with his blocks on the floor, Elizabeth began grading the essays that her students had passed in to her this morning. It didn't take long for her mind to wander.

_Nathan Grant,_ Elizabeth thought. _So many confusing, conflicting encounters with that man._

The touch in the library, where she'd felt something akin to an electric shock as their fingers met, and from his eyes she was sure he felt it too. Thank goodness Fiona had come in, or Elizabeth thought they might still be staring at each other in bewilderment.

She knew she disconcerted him, but she also had to admit that when Nathan was around, she had to concentrate more on making sense than was normal for her. For some inexplicable reason, Nathan was highly distracting.

Elizabeth reached her pencil out and toyed with the candle wax. She knew she'd be sorry later because it would make it impossible to write with, but she was confounded and didn't like the feeling.

Perhaps if she went through it step by step. Should she make a list? No. _You're a smart girl, Elizabeth. You can figure this out._

So, there was the library. _Even if he didn't feel the shock of our fingers touching – there was that look. It was too long, too intense to be normal. He was interested then._

At the Founder's Day Dance, Elizabeth had looked for Nathan but hadn't found him. She'd turned around and there was Lucas, standing alone while everyone danced around him. Lucas had done so much for Hope Valley in donating the library and Elizabeth's tender heart had clenched at seeing him alone. So, as his friend, she'd asked him to dance.

As Lucas turned her, she could see why she hadn't found Nathan. He was standing in the doorway to the saloon and had been hidden from her. The look in his eyes was one she would never forget. It had caused an actual pain in her heart.

Elizabeth left the dance soon after and made her way to Nathan's office. She intended to say that she had looked for him to ask him to dance, but as she impulsively crossed the street, Elizabeth realized she hadn't really thought through exactly how she wanted to say it. Nathan could be a little skittish sometimes, and she didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

So instead of going in, she simply stood there in the dark outside the window as he wrote at his desk by lamplight.

She watched him for the longest time, fascinated by the way he held the pen, the fingers of his other hand tapping on the desk periodically. She was paralyzed, disoriented by what she was feeling. He couldn't see her, and she couldn't move.

Elizabeth began to be aware of how very much she liked Nathan and how attractive he was. His strong jaw, kind smile, endearing awkwardness, the depth of his voice, how he towered over her but never felt overpowering, the way he loved and cared for Allie.

But thinking back on it now, Elizabeth realized that as her heart reached toward Nathan, her mind took over and moved her away. _That one was my fault_, she thought.

Perhaps it was because he sat at that desk that was Jack's not so long ago, or maybe it was the simple fact that Nathan was a Mountie.

Elizabeth remembered thinking that Nathan didn't deserve the heavy baggage she was carrying. And honestly, she didn't know if she could put herself back into that life of worry.

So, she had stepped quietly back into the street and had gone back to the saloon. She'd vowed to concentrate on being a friend to Nathan and Allie and to do whatever she could to help them with their transition to Hope Valley.

Elizabeth had been moderately successful in this wish, though she was intensely grateful that a person's actual thoughts could not be discerned by others. She admitted only to herself that she seldom thought of Nathan as just a friend.

As the days went by, Elizabeth came to expect that he would arrive after school most days to walk Allie home.

When she had no students to meet with, Elizabeth found herself miraculously ready to walk out the door when Allie did. Even if she lagged behind a little, Nathan would always stop and turn at some point and they would wait for her on the path.

That meant that a couple of days a week, the three of them would walk from the school to the row houses, and if any shopping needed to be done at the Mercantile, they would often do it together.

If they had a number of errands to run, they would pick up little Jack and Allie would push him in the stroller. Like her uncle, she loved to make faces at him and get him to giggle.

When Nathan had official business and no time to change, they walked with him in his uniform. As they strolled through town, friends and neighbors would smile at the familiar sight of Elizabeth and a man in red serge.

Most of all, they would smile because _she_ was smiling. Laughing, teasing, her arm loosely around Allie's shoulder, Elizabeth leaning back to look up at Nathan, her eyes sparkling. She was happy again.

_That was a good time_, Elizabeth thought, rolling the tip of the pencil through the candle flame to melt off the wax.

Then it was Christmas and Nathan and Allie asked her to help them find just the right tree. They'd had the sweetest day together and Nathan had told Elizabeth that there was no place he'd rather be.

_Hope is the thing with feathers…_ She'd recognized the flutters she felt walking through the forest with him, the times she'd looked into his eyes and seen something more than friendship.

As she basked in the joy of decorating the tree with Allie and Nathan, a word had come unbidden into Elizabeth's head: _family_. She could imagine the four of them – Allie as big sister to little Jack, she as mother to Allie, and she and Nathan…

The pencil was practically on fire by the time she pulled it out and blew on it to disperse the smoke. _Get hold of yourself, Elizabeth._

When Nathan had leaned over her, tall and strong, to place the bird ornament at the top of the tree, the warmth between them was a tangible force as she felt the light touch of his chest on her back.

_If this is supposed to be helping, it's not, _Elizabeth thought_. Perhaps I should have made a list._

It had surprised her, this feeling she'd thought was gone forever. There in the glow of the Christmas lights, Nathan's eyes told her that he'd felt it too, and again, she'd wondered if she should let him know what she was feeling.

But Nathan had been keeping a secret from her that day. Elizabeth could hardly bear the déjà vu of hearing him say he'd been given another assignment and would be leaving. When she asked him about the friends Allie had made, "That _you've_ made," he said there was nothing keeping them in Hope Valley.

The tears that glistened in her eyes and the color that glowed in her cheeks had embarrassed Elizabeth. As she walked out of his office and onto the street she'd thought, _This is for the best. I can't do this again._

In the month that had passed since Christmas, they had never talked about why he hadn't left Hope Valley.

Elizabeth assumed that he had done it for Allie, who was now one of the most popular students in school. It still stung every time she thought about what Nathan had said about leaving: _It just doesn't seem like there's anything holding us back._

Elizabeth often wasn't ready to walk home with them these days, claiming that the new year brought the necessity of new learning plans and she had much to do.

She waved and smiled from her desk to Nathan at the door to the church each day. He spent most of the time looking at the floor before mumbling a farewell.

Sighing, Elizabeth recalled the early days with Jack and their on-again, off-again courtship. Love could be baffling and perplexing and so full of confusion – but the reward could also be magnificent, a way to know that we're alive. She came to the conclusion that all relationships were simply challenging, each in their own way.

In this case, Elizabeth surmised that she had clearly misunderstood Nathan's interest in her. She'd given him a chance to make a declaration, and even when she'd plaintively asked him if he'd miss the friends he'd made in Hope Valley – if he'd miss _her_ – he'd been silent. The truth was that her pride was hurt.

The other truth was that she very much missed her friend. If he couldn't be more, she would have to find a way to live with that.

Without warning, Nathan would return to her mind at odd moments. How he sat a horse, confident in a way he never could be in conversation. How he'd looked on the stairwell in the saloon that night he'd come to her rescue. The softness and raw gratitude in his eyes as she'd told him that she wouldn't give up on Allie.

Elizabeth found herself thinking of his hands, strong and expressive - the hands that had painstakingly made the wooden plaque that now hung in the library.

_Always do what you are afraid to do._

When she gazed at it from her seat at the library desk, it was like a gentle voice, speaking not just to her, but to Nathan as well.

In her best moments, she felt compassion for Nathan and the uncomfortable position she might have put him in with her interest. Mountie Jack Thornton was now a legend of sorts, and the bond between brothers was one of principle and loyalty. As Jack's widow, Elizabeth knew that she also held an honored place in the Mountie family, and Nathan would not want to overstep or assume.

Elizabeth smiled and her heart ached a little, remembering his stutters, the stilted way he spoke to her at times, the way he would suddenly turn and leave a conversation, the furtive glances when he thought she wasn't looking.

_There is something there_, Elizabeth thought. _I can't be imagining it all. Maybe hope can still be the thing with feathers._

Elizabeth put aside the essays and decided she would grade them in the morning. Right now, she wanted to get down on the floor and build a castle with her precious boy.

He giggled in delight as she sprawled on the rug and began stacking the wooden pieces that Jesse had fashioned at the sawmill and given to Jack for his birthday. She held up a carved one for Jack to see.

"A turret, you say? Absolutely! Have I told you the story of Rapunzel?"

Jack shook his head enthusiastically and for the next half hour they played as Elizabeth told him the story of the girl in the castle with the long golden hair.

When it was time for bed, Elizabeth carried him upstairs.

Her mind returned inexorably to Nathan, and she spoke softly to little Jack on the stairs, "All will be revealed. Your Mama has a little problem with patience, sweet boy. We're going to work on that."

Jack smiled contentedly back at her with a wisdom in his eyes, so like his father's. For a moment she stopped and stared back, seeing the love there and knowing that not only God, but her Jack, was guiding her.

"Patience," she whispered again.


	2. Chapter 2

Nathan walked slowly past the first row house and gazed at the soft glow around the white lace curtains in the front room. He wanted to stop and just take it in for a moment, but he knew it wasn't a good idea. Kicking a rock took a little time, as did adjusting his belt and giving the sunset a good look. Finally, he just had to keep walking.

He wondered what she was doing now – Feeding little Jack? Writing in her journal? Fixing dinner? Reading? He looked one last time and imagined the curtains separating and her smile at the window. And he knew that if it actually happened, he would probably lose his nerve and walk on, pretending he hadn't seen her.

_Because I'm a coward. Brave Mountie, afraid of how her smile makes my knees buckle._

He'd brushed and fed Bear and left him at the livery and now he was on his way home to see what Allie had concocted for dinner. His niece had begun her cooking career after determining that if she counted on Nathan for sustenance, she was likely to starve. Dinner was always a creative process between the two of them – one that he was enjoying more and more.

They'd never stayed in one place long enough to acquire pots and pans. He'd come home with a cooking pot last month and you'd think he'd given Allie a pony.

Nathan smiled suddenly, shaking his head. He never could have imagined himself in this scenario. The Mountie work had been a long-held dream, one that had its seeds in his father's mistakes, but also suited his solitary personality and wish for lack of complications. His work wasn't the surprising part of his life in Hope Valley.

The fact that a Mountie widow and a twelve-year-old girl tended to dominate his non-work thoughts was what had him off his feet these days. Racing after criminals was easy — understanding women was decidedly not.

Men dealt with each other in straightforward ways — when he'd had an issue with Lucas Bouchard, he'd simply asked the question, "Is there anything else I need to know about you?" Easy, uncomplicated.

But when he'd thought Elizabeth might be hurt in the library and had rushed in to see what had elicited her scream, those few moments were pure torture. Worse still, the touch of her warm fingers on his had produced a flurry of thoughts that he couldn't make any sense of, much less express.

Nathan felt like much of the time he spent with Elizabeth could be characterized as barely controlled chaos inside his chest. He could hardly speak, or make sense. "The founders would be proud?" Really?

But the way she sometimes looked at him had given him hope. At their first meeting he'd convinced himself that it was his Mountie uniform that had caused her lovely eyes to glisten. After all, it was likely that the last time she'd been in that office with a Mountie in his red serge, it had been her husband.

When he'd first heard her voice he'd turned and thought, _What an exquisite woman, with an angel's voice. But sad, and perhaps a little nervous._

"Ma'am?"

"I'm Elizabeth Thornton."

_Ah. Yes._ He'd stood and tried to be as professional as possible, but he was already reeling a little. Why had he expected Jack Thornton's wife to be so different? _Not this beauty._

But truly, beyond that was her kindness.

"May I share something with you, Constable?"

While doing something that must have been very difficult for her - seeing a stranger in her late husband's place – Elizabeth Thornton had thought instead of the new Mountie and worried that he might be feeling unwelcome.

After Nathan had been summarily thrown in jail by the current sheriff on his very first night in town, and then had been stared at and whispered about everywhere he'd walked, he had already realized that the welcome wagon was not being rolled out any time soon.

Once he'd thought more logically, he recognized again the boots he had to fill, those worn by the larger-than-life Constable Jack Thornton. And from everything he'd heard, Jack was not only an exemplary Mountie, but he was universally loved and respected by those he served.

Jack and Elizabeth's love story wasn't confined to the borders of Hope Valley. It was a part of the lore now – including the fact that Jack was a legacy Mountie and his father had also died relatively young from wounds taken on the job.

The engagement, the wedding, their trip together up to Fort Clay and Jack's death so quickly on the heels of so much happiness; then a child born on Christmas Eve, a miracle that was created in the small window of time they'd had together.

It was the type of story that Mounties passed amongst themselves. Some to convince themselves that marriage doesn't mix with the Mountie life. Some to convince themselves that it does, and that leaving a child behind means you never really die.

So, as Elizabeth showed concern for Nathan, he was in awe of her. Not only for what she'd gone through. He also felt a keen sense of wonder that, after so much pain, she didn't despise every man that wore the uniform.

He'd watched her walking away down the street, her pink skirt swaying, and he sensed a lightness in her that hadn't been there when she'd first walked into his office.

At the time, Nathan had remembered one of his favorite passages from Emerson.

_Always do what you are afraid to do._

She had conquered one of her fears in coming to see him right away. And now she could begin to be free of it.

From that point forward, he had known generally where Elizabeth Thornton was most of the time. He had an overwhelming desire to keep her safe. He told himself it was for a Mountie brother, but that wasn't entirely the truth.

Of course, Allie's ongoing troubles at school allowed Nathan more time than he might have liked with Mrs. Thornton.

As Allie's guardian, Nathan had seen his niece move through schools by using her intelligence and cool way with a story. It had worried him, increasingly, that she was becoming cynical and a little dark – and he knew that it was his fault.

When Elizabeth called him to the school to talk about Allie, she'd said something that he'd heard more times than he wanted to count.

"Children need stability."

Nathan had no patience with this argument – he was a Mountie and that wasn't changing. He was in no mood to discuss this again.

"We're fine. Thank you." He turned on his heel to go, but Mrs. Thornton was still talking.

"So, what I suggest is that we call Allie in and let her know our expectations for her in the classroom."

Nathan turned. This was new. Not someone telling him he needed to stop being a Mountie, but rather asking for clear communication and working within the reality of his job.

Elizabeth paused and raised her chin a little defiantly.

"All right?"

The chaos in his chest immediately resumed. She was a force of nature, this woman. He again found himself staring just a little too long before answering.

"Okay."

She'd been right. Allie had been worried about making friends. Elizabeth had made Allie smile when she told her some of the children already liked her. And God above, Elizabeth had quoted Emerson.

As he listened to her talk to Allie, Nathan had dared to hope that this perfect, lovely woman might have an interest in him. He didn't know if she was ready, but he had a pretty good idea that he'd be willing to wait until she was.

He'd seen her stealing glances at him, and not always when he was in his uniform. There had been that touch in the library, and there were times when they had seemed to have entire conversations with their eyes alone.

Nathan thought he might be on her mind. And he thought that was a very good thing.

Unfortunately, as he'd gotten to know the town and spent more time in it, he'd known that he wasn't the only one she sought out. It had always appeared to be a choice between him and Lucas.

In fact, whenever he'd been feeling encouraged by her attentions, it seemed that he'd walk around a corner and find them together. Lucas was a talker, and a smooth one. The opposite of Nathan.

When he'd seen that she'd used her Ladies Choice dance with him – that was the end of Nathan's hope.

It was as plain as if she had said it. From that point forward he assumed he'd been clearly told that her choice was Lucas, and he'd worked toward pulling his heart back.

When the news had come that he was being promoted to Inspector and it required a move to Union City, Nathan had jumped at the chance. He tried not to focus on the fact that it was less about the promotion and more about not having to see Elizabeth every day.

The prospect of watching her courtship with Lucas in a town as small as Hope Valley was more than he thought he could bear.

Nathan stopped walking for a moment and breathed deeply. This happened to him now and then – a memory would hit him in the chest, and he found it difficult to catch his breath.

Decorating the Christmas tree, Nathan again had to remind himself that Elizabeth was the kindest person he'd ever known – but that her kindness didn't mean she was interested in him. It just meant she was kind.

But just as he had convinced himself of that fact, Nathan found himself pressed lightly up against Elizabeth as he helped her hang an ornament and every one of his senses detonated.

Then, to make it worse, she turned, her sweet face not five inches from his and he was so close that he could see the tiny specks of gold in her eyes and could smell the lavender soap she'd used in her bath.

_Controlled chaos, my foot._

Then, when they'd run into each other in the Mercantile and the package had arrived with Allie's charm bracelet, what had Elizabeth said? _That's a lovely tradition you're starting for her._

Nathan thought he might have said two words that day before he ran into Elizabeth. And within five minutes he'd told her about his sister and her charm bracelet, how Allie was hard to shop for, he'd described the charms and babbled about flies. It was like the words were all bottled up and then he saw Elizabeth and they all spilled out.

What did that mean? He thought he might know, but for a man who had never really been in love, it was still somewhat of a mystery.

Nathan stopped at his front door at the very last row house. He could smell something delicious cooking inside.

He took a moment to look down the row of houses and focused on the one at the end.

Elizabeth was inside it, warm and safe.

All was well. It might not be perfect. But there was always hope.


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth ran her finger tenderly over the chiseled letters on the stone. She pulled a tiny green shoot from its base and smiled over at her son who was playing quietly with a wooden train set, cooing in his own secret language. Sergeant grazed nearby.

She'd set little Jack out on a quilt next to her and wondered idly again if it was appropriate to ask a child to play in a graveyard. But Elizabeth couldn't bring herself to think of this place as anything but sacred – the place where she could talk to Jack and look out at the mountains and the town he had loved so dearly.

"Spring is coming again, Jack," Elizabeth said softly, pulling another small weed and wiping a bit of dirt from the petal of one of the flowers she had planted just below his gravestone.

Elizabeth knew that she could find Jack anywhere – that he was all around her - but the truth was that she was beginning to make memories without him, and this was the only place they could really be alone together.

It reminded her of their time in the mine, when they'd finally spoken the words, "I love you." She had asked if they could stay a little longer, even after the rain had stopped falling, because in there it was just the two of them.

These days as she walked down the streets and into the shops of Hope Valley, as she spent time in her classroom, in the church where they were married, in Abigail's, the saloon, the Mercantile – there were new people and new memories.

Even at the dining room table that she had shared with Jack in the little row house she now could also see Rosemary and Lee, Bill, Fiona, Clara and Jesse, and many of her students and their parents.

"I've become quite a good cook," Elizabeth said, laughing. "I'm sorry you missed that."

The one place in the house that was entirely theirs was her bed upstairs. But staying in bed all day wasn't possible, and this spot was so much prettier.

Looking around her, Elizabeth saw the names on other stones - Noah and Peter Stanton, Patrick Sullivan, Paul Blakeley, and so many others of the miners who had died just before she'd arrived in Coal Valley.

Elizabeth remembered well the early days after Jack's death, when Abigail had brought together Molly, Clara and Florence to help her through those horrible first weeks of loneliness, anger and unfathomable sorrow.

She felt a kinship with those women, finally understanding the deep pain they'd been experiencing when Elizabeth first became a teacher here. She knew now that she was in an eternal sisterhood with them. They had helped her through the hardest time of her life.

Elizabeth raised her face to feel the early afternoon sunshine. It was Saturday, and she looked over at the beautiful white schoolhouse, the one that Jack had worked so hard to build for her.

That kind of memory had been difficult to bear right after he died. Elizabeth could hardly look at the school without crying. But now, The Jack Thornton School gave her such pleasure and pride.

Elizabeth knew she was out of the dark woods of grief now. That terrible time was still held in her memory, but the pain had moved on. In its place was a sort of bittersweet joy at all she had shared with Jack, and a profound gratitude that she'd been lucky enough to have him at all.

And his son.

Little Jack stirred next to her and he crawled up into her lap, still holding his toy caboose. He leaned over and began running it over the slight mound of Jack's grave, making train noises.

Elizabeth smiled. One day he would be able to understand that his father wasn't really here, but that this was a place they could come to talk to him. Elizabeth could almost see Jack smiling down at them, his eyes full of pride.

Tiring of his game, little Jack climbed off her lap again and moved back to the quilt, plopping down on his stomach. He turned his head to the side and watched as a beetle made a slow trek across the patchwork squares.

Elizabeth sighed and again made a promise to Jack that she would always keep his son safe and that he would know how much he was loved. He would also know his father the way Elizabeth had known him - as brave and kind, with a quick smile and a loyal heart.

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth started speaking, softly, as she tended the grave. This visit had not been random – it had a purpose.

"You gave me a sign once, do you remember? When I was in Benson Hills getting the carriage, the night that little Jack was born? I was missing you so much and I said out loud that I wished you were with me." Elizabeth sighed, recalling how hard those days had been.

"There was a man and his daughter nearby, and just as I wished for you, he turned to his little girl and said, 'Take a walk with me?'"

Tears suddenly sprang to Elizabeth's eyes at the memory. "I knew…" she touched the stone gently, "I knew it was you. And since that day I've known that you're with us always."

Elizabeth nodded solemnly. "Well, Jack, I need another sign." She chose her words carefully, still wishing to be kind, even in death not wanting to hurt him or make him doubt her everlasting love for him.

"I know now that falling in love with someone else will never dim what I feel for you. I know that love is not only patient and kind, but it's also bottomless, an endless well that only grows as you give it away." Elizabeth paused, thinking of how to say what she needed to ask.

"I trust that you're watching and that you have a better view than I do. I need guidance, Jack. You can see what's in my heart. I'm confused and unsettled and I'm not sure what to do with these feelings I'm having."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and opened her heart wide to hear what might come.

Sergeant whinnied and Elizabeth opened her eyes. There on the hill at a respectful distance sat Nathan astride Bear. His red jacket shone in the sunlight and his hat was pulled down low over his forehead. He gazed at her unapologetically with eyes so soft that she found herself suddenly short of breath.

_He's so handsome framed by the trees and the mountains and sitting so tall in the saddle_, Elizabeth thought. She felt protected, and though she knew Nathan didn't want to disturb her, she wanted him to know that she was glad he was there.

She waved to him and smiled. He touched his hat, smiled back and then dipped his head and left her in privacy.

As he rode away, Elizabeth felt a tear move slowly down her cheek. She placed both hands on the stone and read again for the thousandth time: _Loving husband, hero, friend._

"Thank you, Jack," Elizabeth said softly.

* * *

Nathan hadn't meant for Elizabeth to see him. He hadn't been exactly following her, but he had seen her go to the livery with little Jack and had watched as she hoisted her delighted boy up into the saddle with her.

It was such a pretty picture it was hard for Nathan to turn away from it. She had one protective arm around her son as she skillfully worked the reins with her other hand.

Elizabeth rode Sergeant, Jack's horse. She said he would be little Jack's someday and that then she would find her own horse to ride with him. But for now, one was enough.

Sergeant was well-trained, and Nathan was glad Elizabeth had him – a good Mountie's horse had a sixth sense and knew when to be strong and when to be gentle. Sergeant was an exceptionally sure-footed mount.

She had told him once that when she'd first come out west, she'd had very little experience with horses. It was hard to believe, watching her now. She said that Jack had taught her to ride and she'd learned not only not to be afraid of horses, but to genuinely love them.

During the many days that Nathan, Allie and Elizabeth had walked from the school to the town and home, he'd listened to her talk about her life growing up in Hamilton and her new experiences in Hope Valley.

Nathan knew he was generally a man of few words, but that didn't mean his reactions to what he heard were any less heartfelt. He listened to Elizabeth closely, thoroughly enjoyed her stories and commented when he felt he could make a contribution. One of the reasons he felt so good talking to her was that he knew she instinctively appreciated all this.

One day, Elizabeth made him laugh out loud at her description of burning down the teacherage on her first night in town. She'd laughed too when he'd told her it made him feel a little better about ending up in a jail cell on his first night. They'd decided they needed to work on their first impressions.

As she spoke, Nathan tried to imagine her in the coal mine doing the hard work of clearing the shafts with the other women when they were in fear of losing their houses.

And when she recounted stories of her first days teaching in the saloon before there was a school, Nathan felt what it must have been like for Elizabeth to face a room full of children of all ages, most grieving the loss of their fathers and living with the overwhelming sadness of their mothers at home.

Elizabeth spoke to Nathan about Jack comfortably and without hesitation and he valued her candor. Nathan was also aware that she spoke of Jack without any false reverence – she didn't have him up on a pedestal. Elizabeth saw Jack for exactly who he was. Not the Mountie legend that Nathan had heard about, but the man.

Nathan still thought it was pretty daunting to imagine living up to the myth of Constable Jack Thornton – but he sensed from Elizabeth that there was room for someone to stand by Jack's side in her heart. Although Nathan felt his chance had passed with Elizabeth, it gave him hope for her happiness.

Nathan finished his rounds and waited a short time, and then headed to the livery himself and saddled Bear. He wasn't sure where Elizabeth was going, but he thought she might be headed to the cemetery, and he wanted to ease his mind that they'd gotten there safely.

Just last week he'd almost been thrown himself when Bear had shied from a raccoon that ran across his path. He knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything else until he'd seen her safe.

_Where is this going?_ Nathan thought, as he tightened the cinch on the saddle and dropped the stirrup down. _I can't follow her everywhere. She'll end up having a talk with me at some point._

Nathan knew how proud Elizabeth was of her independence. She had told him how often she'd had to assert the fact that she could take care of herself when she first arrived in Coal Valley.

And she'd told him that she most especially had to assert it to Jack.

Nathan had replied something to the effect that Mounties are trained to protect people, and it's hard sometimes to know when to stop.

Elizabeth had nodded. She said that she knew that, and that in truth, Jack had actually saved her life more than once, so she didn't want to sound ungrateful.

He smiled to himself now, remembering what he had said next to Elizabeth.

"I believe I may have had a hand in saving your life as well?"

Her eyebrows had raised, and she nodded, "Yes. In the saloon that night." She'd turned to Allie and said, "I sound like quite the damsel in distress, don't I? I don't really feel like I'm constantly in danger of falling over cliffs, but I suppose I am."

She'd put an arm around Allie and said conspiratorially, "Thank goodness for the Mounties."

And then she had turned and looked up at Nathan even though she was still talking to Allie. "Your uncle was very dashing that night. And yes, he saved my life. I'll be eternally grateful he was there."

Those were the moments that Nathan could replay in his head with total recall. Her smile, the sparkle in her eyes, the playful way she had of saying something very serious.

With the saddle secure, Nathan pulled himself easily up on Bear and headed out of the livery, moving into a slow walk through the town.

Passing the Queen of Hearts, Nathan saw Lucas talking to Fiona in the doorway. He dipped his head to them and they both waved back.

Nathan didn't dislike Lucas – far from it. He admired his tenacity, his intelligence, and the way he had tried to improve life in Hope Valley. Nathan still thought there was a little too much mystery about Lucas, but he didn't have any specific argument with him.

But frowning now, Nathan kept his eye on the two of them as he passed. Fiona was standing awfully close to Lucas, and there was that look on his face that seemed so well rehearsed, the one Nathan had seen often as Lucas talked with Elizabeth.

_Flirting_. Something Nathan had absolutely no skill for, and no desire to learn.

For a brief moment, Nathan was angry for Elizabeth. How would she feel if she saw Lucas whispering in Fiona's ear, laughing with her?

Nathan had to turn away or he might tumble right off Bear. His neck was craned as far as was possible.

_Don't suppose you can arrest someone for flirting_, he thought. _Tempting as that may sound._

But as he rode toward the cemetery, Nathan started to think things through. He tried to remember a time he had actually seen Lucas and Elizabeth in any situation that resembled courting.

They were always pleasant with each other, but had he ever seen them together away from the library, or out to dinner at the saloon, or walking together in the evenings?

In fact, the most intimate he'd seen them was last summer at the Founder's Day Dance. That night he'd decided that Elizabeth had made her choice.

Thinking back, when had things gone really cold with Elizabeth? It wasn't after that dance, because their walks had started soon after.

No, it was Christmas. Nathan stared out into the distance as his mind worked with increasing speed.

_Ah._ It was becoming clearer.

_I'm an idiot. Elizabeth asked me, directly, about the friends I'd made here and whether it would be hard to leave them._ He remembered the blush that had come into her cheeks when he'd said there was nothing holding him here. Her eyes were close to filling with tears as she turned and said abruptly, "Congratulations."

Nathan exhaled sharply. When she had used the word "friends," he'd taken that to mean that it was all she was prepared to give now that she'd chosen Lucas. But Elizabeth didn't know how to be more forward than that. She'd given him an opportunity and he'd missed it completely.

That was when their walks had stopped. A wall had come up between them, and in his gloom, Nathan had allowed it - even been grateful for it. The less he saw of her, the less he talked to her, the less pain he felt.

More than a month had passed since they'd enjoyed that ease together, and now Nathan knew without a doubt that it was his own doing.

Cresting the small hill that overlooked the Hope Valley Cemetery, Nathan saw her sitting by Jack's grave. Little Jack was lying on a quilt next to her, napping in the sunshine.

Elizabeth's eyes were closed. Perhaps she was praying. Nathan heard a low whinny from Sergeant, signaling his awareness that another horse was near.

Opening her eyes, Elizabeth looked directly at Nathan.

She raised a hand slowly and gave him a smile that he would hold close for a long time. Nathan tipped his hat and smiled back, and the word he'd been searching for made itself known to him.

_Love_. He was in love with her, and this is what love felt like. And no matter what happened from this day forward, he had this and would be grateful.

_But maybe it's not too late_, Nathan thought.

_Please, God, don't let it be too late._


	4. Chapter 4

Elizabeth opened her eyes and slowly came into consciousness. There was a long shaft of sunlight streaming through the room and for a moment she focused on it, feeling the warmth seeping into her bedroom from the uncurtained window.

Little Jack had slept in, and Elizabeth was grateful. After their time at the cemetery yesterday, she had taken him on what was a pretty long ride for him, and he had loved it so much that it had been hard to get him to sleep last night. He could now say his own version of the word "horsey" and Elizabeth thought he would have slept on Sergeant if he could.

She was glad of it. She looked forward to the day they could ride together – Jack on Sergeant and she on her own horse.

Elizabeth sat up and moved to the side of the bed. This was a luxury, being able to awaken slowly and take in her surroundings. She usually woke when she heard sounds coming from the nursery across the hall that required her assistance – for food, diaper, or just mommy assurance that she was still there after a long night's sleep.

And then there were some mornings, like this one, when Jack woke up and sat in his crib playing with the soft and shiny objects she'd hung from the slats. She could hear him now from across the hall, talking to himself happily.

Elizabeth sighed and looked around her bedroom.

She still called it her bedroom, but for four glorious days and nights, it had been _their_ bedroom, and the memories sometimes came back to her in a rush as she awakened like this.

After all the time she'd spent with Jack, Elizabeth had been surprised at how nervous she'd been. Of course, being a teacher and a pragmatic person, she had done her research. She'd talked to Abigail and Clara, and even Rosemary. She knew how it all worked, on a scientific and biological level.

What she hadn't been entirely prepared for was the _intimacy_ of it. Of course, Jack had been unfailingly gentle and sweet and had given her as much time as she needed – but she had surprised herself, and him, by not needing all that much time.

Elizabeth inhaled deeply and smiled. She had been a little embarrassed by her reaction to the joy of having all of him, of feeling him next to her…

"Enough of _that_!" Elizabeth whispered suddenly, standing up. She straightened her flannel nightgown and walked to her dressing table to pick up her hairbrush. She pulled it roughly through her tangled curls - a little too roughly.

"Ouch!"

Elizabeth sat in front of the mirror and took note of the two scarlet patches in her cheeks. Shaking her head and stifling a giggle, she put her head in her hands and sighed.

To be fair, it was such a short time. She might have gotten used to it, become immune to how good it was to be loved so well, if it had lasted longer. But they had four nights here, then the seven nights under the stars camping on the way to Fort Clay.

Five years of courtship and eleven nights of marriage. Simple numbers that spoke volumes to her now. Why had they wasted so much time?

_Stop with the self-pity, Elizabeth. Count your blessings. To some women who have lost husbands, eleven days would seem a lifetime. Be grateful for what you had._

And she was. Jack could have easily died in the Northern Territories during their engagement and she wouldn't even have these memories to hold.

From the sounds in the next room, little Jack was ready to start his day. Elizabeth looked in the mirror again and saw the joy in her own face, anticipating how it would feel to pick him up out of his crib, warm from sleep and his eyes full of love for her.

She had so much to be grateful for.

"Time to get ready for church!" she said brightly as she crossed the hallway to his room. Jack stood up and began jumping excitedly in his crib.

"We have a new visiting pastor today," she cooed to him, kissing his cheek, "and we can't wait to hear what he has to say, can we?"

An hour later, Elizabeth and Jack were dressed and ready to go. Lately he wanted to walk everywhere, and she found she would be pushing the carriage with one hand and holding his hand with other, which wasn't ideal.

She was standing on the porch, puzzling whether to take the carriage or leave it and whether she had the strength to carry him to and from church if he got tired right away. He was growing so fast and was getting heavy.

"You look like you're solving the problems of the world, Elizabeth."

She hadn't heard his voice in a while, she realized. Just a quick hello on the street, a wave here and there, but not a full sentence and certainly not in this low, intelligent tone that seemed to resonate right through her.

It didn't so much startle her to hear his voice – it was more the rush of heat that came to her cheeks when she did. She was sure he was seeing it, as the right corner of his mouth turned slightly upward, and his head tilted in puzzlement.

_You see_, she thought, _I have a secret. Yesterday Jack gave his blessing to us, to you and me, Constable Grant, and right now I'm very happy about it._

One of Elizabeth's pleasures in seeing Nathan was all the different ways he would dress – of course, the red serge, and on casual days a plaid shirt with suspenders. Today for church, he wore a dark blue lapeled jacket with a dress shirt, and he looked very handsome. She turned away and looked down at Jack just to pull herself together.

She smiled up at Nathan and regained her composure by putting on her best teacher voice. "Well, yes, actually, I am. And the problem today is whether Jack will be able to walk all the way to church and back, and whether I have the strength to carry him if he can't."

"Hmmm," Nathan nodded, looking serious. "That is a dilemma." He bent down so that he was eye-to-eye with Jack, standing next to his mother.

"I saw you on your horse yesterday. Would you like me to give you a pony ride?"

Jack had warmed to Nathan right away, for which Elizabeth was very grateful.

She remembered Nathan at Jack's christening, when he had offered to watch him for a bit while she mingled at the party after. She'd been talking to Rosemary and had heard Jack's infectious giggle from across the room.

When she turned, Nathan, the big strong Mountie, was making the most ridiculous faces and Jack was captivated. It had been that way ever since.

To Nathan's question, Jack immediately put his arms up - and in one quick move, Nathan had him straddling his neck and riding high on his shoulders, to Jack's immense delight.

Elizabeth laughed. "You've done that before," she said. "I'm impressed."

Nathan turned and looked down the road in front of the row houses. Allie was catching up to him, looking like she might not be entirely awake yet.

He smiled at Elizabeth. "I've been with her since she was a baby, you know." Nathan leaned in toward her, and she felt her heart beat a little faster. He whispered, "This is not my first rodeo."

Elizabeth had a few moments before Allie reached them, and though she didn't know exactly what she wanted to say, she knew she wanted to say something.

"Nathan…" she started. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry if this… our friendship, well, our relationship… if it's been difficult, or confusing, or…" She exhaled, at a loss. "I'm not doing this very well."

Nathan was calmly looking at her, his eyes that bright blue that made it hard for her to breathe. "You're doing just fine, Elizabeth."

Again, she was rescued by her teacher voice. "I just think we should talk," she said finally, putting a sharp period at the end of the sentence.

Nathan actually loved her teacher voice. His face broke into a big smile and he said softly, "I would like that. Very much."

Allie had looked up and seen them, her Uncle Nathan with one foot on the top step of the porch and one a step down. Jack was on his shoulders with his hands holding tufts of his dark, thick curls in his little fists in a way that looked slightly painful.

But there was no grimace on her uncle's face – in fact, Allie thought he might not be feeling much of anything except happy to be talking again to Mrs. Thornton.

Allie wasn't oblivious to the divide that had occurred between them – she had asked a few times why they didn't all walk home together anymore, but her uncle's answers convinced her that it was another of those adult complicated things that just happened.

Allie had lived a lot in her twelve years, and though she didn't pretend to understand grownups, she knew that a whole lot of what seemed to upset them had to do with not being entirely honest with each other.

She was no stranger to falsehoods, having made her way through a number of schools and Mountie postings by depending on her own tall tales. Allie had promised both her uncle and Mrs. Thornton that she would tell the truth from now on, and she meant to keep that promise.

Of course, she might ask them to do the same thing.

Seriously, if they thought anyone would be surprised to hear that they were absolutely over the moon about each other, they were sorely mistaken. They might as well have signs on their foreheads.

It made Allie very happy to see them together again.

"Hey, you two!" she said, joining them.

They both turned, looking like they'd gotten caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"Hi!" they said in unison, just a little too loudly and a little too cheerfully.

Allie shook her head and smiled. _Grownups._

Rosemary Coulter, opening her door to find Elizabeth, Nathan, Allie and little Jack on the porch next door, was beside herself.

She jumped back into her own house and whispered, "Lee! Lee! Come look!"

With the bemused expression that he wore nearly all the time when he was with Rosemary, Lee looked around the doorway to see what his wife was so excited about.

"Ah," he said, not quite sure what response she expected. He loved Rosemary more than life itself, but very seldom was he as excited about things as she wanted him to be.

Pushing him back inside, she whispered, "They're talking to each other again!"

Lee's brow furrowed. "They weren't talking to each other?"

Rosemary frowned. "Lee Coulter, sometimes I think you spend your days under a rock. They haven't been talking for over a month!"

Rosemary always knew what was going on in town, but she'd gotten better about keeping it to herself. She and Elizabeth had become very good friends, and she mentioned one day that she hadn't seen her with Nathan lately. She'd seen real pain in Elizabeth's eyes.

"Well, if you want to talk about it, I'm here," was all she'd said before she dropped the subject.

There were many widows in town, and Rosemary had the perception to know that grief was a complicated process. Each woman took her own time moving through it. Elizabeth would find her way.

_And now, it seems as if she has_, Rosemary thought, watching the four of them head up the path toward church. They looked lovely together.

Rosemary sighed. _We all have things to be sad about,_ she thought, _but so many more things to be grateful for._

Right now, Rosemary was grateful for her sweet husband, but also the fact that all the way to church they would be following the family she saw forming before her eyes.

* * *

Elizabeth loved being in the little white church in Hope Valley. Perhaps it was her memories – seeing it for the first time across the pond, and of course, her wedding and little Jack's christening.

But it was also her classroom, and she had probably spent more hours here than any other person present. It was home to her, a place where she felt fulfilled and blessed, filled with grace and purpose.

Elizabeth tended to sit in the last pew in church, just in case little Jack was noisy or restless. She never wanted to disturb the other parishioners, and she could hear just fine from the front steps of the church if she needed to.

Today, Allie and Nathan sat with her, and when Jack got a little boisterous, Allie simply took his hand and walked outside with him.

Elizabeth felt the change acutely – when the children were no longer there, it was just her with Nathan. With more space available, Nathan moved slightly to put some air between them. But not too far.

Elizabeth tried to concentrate on the sermon, which was coincidentally about love, but she was so completely aware of Nathan next to her that she found herself distracted and self-conscious.

She looked down and saw his hand on his leg, a strong hand that she'd seen hold Bear's reins with such confidence, tanned, with prominent veins running across the back of it, but that also could be gentle as she'd seen with Jack and Allie…

Elizabeth stole a look sideways and blushed as she met Nathan's eyes and realized he'd been watching her.

She inhaled sharply and forced herself to look forward. A silent prayer started in her head. _Lord, keep me focused on what is important in life. My son, my students, my family, friends and neighbors. Help me to avoid distraction, and help me to understand that if something is right it will happen in its own good time…_

Determined to concentrate on the sermon, Elizabeth stopped praying and listened. After just a moment, she couldn't suppress the smile that threatened to break into a soft laugh.

_Okay, Jack, I get it. Thank you for all the signs, my love. I believe that you want me to be happy, and I truly believe you don't want me to be alone._

The pastor continued his reading from First Corinthians.

_Love is patient, love is kind..._

* * *

Little Jack insisted on the "horsey ride" all the way home as well. Elizabeth thought Nathan enjoyed it as much as her boy did.

When they reached the first row house, Nathan pulled Jack off his shoulders and bent down to say something to Allie.

She smiled at Elizabeth and took Jack by the hand. They moved over to the grassy area across the road and sat down to make daisy chains.

Standing on the lowest step, Nathan looked up at Elizabeth. He didn't speak for a long time. They both got a little lost in each other's eyes until finally he said, softly, "I've missed you."

Elizabeth knew it wasn't easy for Nathan to say something like that. He looked vulnerable. Wide open. She knew that he was taking a chance, and she had no intention of making him regret it. So, she simply told the truth.

"I've missed you, too," she said, her eyes tender.

Nathan took a deep breath and smiled at her. "That's good," he said, exhaling, relieved. "That's very good."

Elizabeth tilted her head and smiled back. "So, what are we going to do about that?"

Nathan looked behind him at Allie and Jack on the grass. He turned back to Elizabeth and said, "Well, I have an idea. Since we're staying here in Hope Valley…" Nathan looked pointedly at Elizabeth and raised his eyebrows to make sure she knew he was determined about that. He went on, his voice low, "I want to give Allie a special kind of settling-down birthday present. Her own horse."

Keeping her voice down, but very enthusiastic, Elizabeth said, "Oh, Nathan, how wonderful!"

Nodding, he said, "There's a nine-year-old palomino for sale in Benson Hills, a sweet, gentle mare that I rode out to see last week while Allie was in school. The owner said he would meet me half-way if I came to pick her up. It would be about half a day's ride, but I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?"

"I would _love_ to!" Elizabeth said quickly. Then, lowering her eyes, she said, "I don't know how these things are supposed to happen. Should I not be so quick to say yes? I'm not really playing hard to get, am I?"

Nathan's eyes turned serious. "No games, Elizabeth. No more misunderstandings. Just the truth." He shook his head, and said softly, "It's a waste of time, and I don't want to waste any more of it."

Elizabeth nodded. "Agreed. And the truth is it would make me very happy to go with you." She paused. "But how do we do this? I've got Jack and you have Allie and I'm assuming you want to surprise her?"

"Yes," Nathan said, nodding. "I was thinking next Saturday, and maybe Laura could watch both of them? Allie will be highly suspicious, but I don't think she has an inkling of it being a horse." Nathan laughed softly, "Truth is, she'll be thrilled that you and I are spending the day together." Nathan took a step up, so his eyes were level with hers. "Allie's missed you too, Elizabeth."

Nathan's hand was on the railing and Elizabeth's was close to it, but not quite touching. She looked down at her hand and he followed her eyes, watching as she inched her finger toward his.

"I just want to try an experiment…" she said, very softly.

As their fingers touched, it happened again. _Electricity_. He looked up at her and said, almost soundlessly, "The library…"

"Um-hmm," Elizabeth said, nodding. "I knew you felt it too."

They held each other's eyes for a moment and then Nathan smiled and turned toward Allie.

His voice was joyful, serene. "C'mon, Allie, let's let Mrs. Thornton get on with her day." He lifted Jack up and gave him a light hug before handing him off to Elizabeth. "I'll see you soon, cowboy."

He looked up at Elizabeth and raised an eyebrow, "And you, too…"

Elizabeth stood on her porch with Jack for the entire time they walked down to the last row house. Before Nathan went inside, he looked back at her.

He was far away, but she could see his smile as he raised his hand and she waved back.


	5. Chapter 5

Elizabeth had just waved goodbye to Nathan and had barely closed her front door when there was a knock on it. She giggled, knowing exactly who it would be.

"Elizabeth!" Rosemary breezed past her and into the front room. It was a good thing that Elizabeth was still carrying little Jack, or he might have been run over.

Rosemary had become a dear friend, especially since Abigail had left Hope Valley. More importantly, she had become a trusted one – she no longer shared stories but held them close if she was asked. She left the gossiping to Florence Blakeley.

"I would have been knocking on your door in a few minutes anyway," Elizabeth said, hugging Rosemary warmly.

"Well, then, I beat you to it," Rosemary said. She raised her eyebrows further than Elizabeth thought humanly possible. "Sooooo?"

Elizabeth shrugged and smiled back at her friend. "So, I'm not sure. When Jack started courting me, he announced it very clearly and kissed my hand." While she talked to Rosemary, Elizabeth busied herself with changing little Jack and getting him some juice and biscuits.

Rosemary laughed. "I can't wait to hear Nathan Grant's version of courting." She rolled her eyes and said, "Probably a trek on horseback!"

It took a moment for Rosemary to realize that she was the only one laughing.

Seeing the look on Elizabeth's face, Rosemary went to her and said, "Really? Oh, my gosh. Where is he taking you? The frontier?"

Now Elizabeth laughed. "No. It's very sweet, actually. He's getting Allie a horse for her birthday. Sort of a way to prove that they're really staying here." Elizabeth raised her chin proudly. "He wants me to go with him."

It was clear that this would not be Rosemary's favorite way of beginning the courting ritual, but she could see that Elizabeth was charmed by it. That was good enough for Rosemary.

Clasping her hands together, she said, "Oh, Elizabeth. I'm so happy for you. You and Nathan are so well-suited for each other. Everyone in town can see it."

Elizabeth pulled out a box of art supplies – paper, colored pencils, pastels – and set Jack up at the kitchen table. Rosemary got herself a cup of tea and poured one for Elizabeth. They moved to the sofa while Jack drew squiggles.

"I truly can't believe it's been a year since I walked into the Mountie office and introduced myself to Nathan," Elizabeth said. "We've already had a few false starts, but we committed today to being honest with each other and seeing where it leads us. He said just the truth, no games. He called it a waste of time."

"And it is," Rosemary said.

"I worked it out this morning, Rosemary. Jack and I courted for five years and we had eleven days of marriage."

Rosemary reached for her hand. "Oh, Elizabeth. It wasn't fair. You deserved so much more time together."

"I won't do that again. I won't wait that long. I agree with Nathan. All that push and pull is such a waste," Elizabeth said.

Rosemary took a sip of tea and gazed at Elizabeth. "Do you love him?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath, thinking. "I'm ready to love him, if that makes any sense. There's room in my heart to love him." Rosemary watched the color come into Elizabeth's cheeks. "And I'm very attracted to him," she said, more softly. "Nathan is a man of integrity. I respect him, and… I'm not sure how to say this Rosemary, and I don't want to have to choose my words too carefully. Will you bear with me?"

Patting her hand, Rosemary said, "You can say anything to me."

Elizabeth continued. "For Jack, being a Mountie was his essence, his heart's calling, as Abigail described it at the funeral."

Elizabeth's voice dropped almost to a whisper. "The Mounties were always going to take him from me, Rosemary. No matter how many years we were together, he was always going to be leaving… going toward danger." She lowered her voice still further after checking to be sure little Jack was engrossed in what he was doing.

"This may be a horrible thing to say, please forgive me."

Still patting her hand, Rosemary said, "Anything, Elizabeth."

In a strangled whisper, Elizabeth said, "He was going to die, sooner or later. And I was going to die piece by piece waiting for it to happen. I told him once that I didn't think I was brave enough to be married to someone as brave as he was."

"Oh, Elizabeth."

"But Nathan is different. He's brave and strong, but he's content here in Hope Valley. He's drawn here by Allie and the stable life he can give her. His eyes aren't on the stars, Rosemary. I think they're on me. He doesn't need to fix the world, just carve out a little piece of it." She searched Rosemary's eyes. "Am I making sense?"

Rosemary smiled at her. "Are you forgetting that I knew Jack even before you did? I know exactly what you're saying."

Rosemary looked at the needlework pillow between them. "Love is patient, love is kind… That was the sermon today, wasn't it?"

Elizabeth nodded. "It's my favorite verse. It was Jack's too. Rosemary, you remember I told you that message I got from Jack when we were in Benson Hills? The night little Jack was born?"

Rosemary smiled. "Yes, there was a man nearby who said, 'Walk with me' and that's what Jack used to say to you whenever he had something important to tell you. Is that right?"

Elizabeth reached for Rosemary's hand. "You're a dear friend, you know that? You remember all the silly little things I tell you."

Rosemary tutted and said, "Well, I'm an actress. Having a good memory is a professional imperative."

Elizabeth shook her head. "You and I both know it's more than that. You care, and I love you for it."

"And I love you, sweet Elizabeth." The lines between her brows deepened, "So what about messages?"

"Well," Elizabeth said, "Don't have me committed, but Jack and I have practically been having a conversation the last couple of days."

Rosemary had her full _concerned_ face on. "Go on…" she said cautiously.

"Yesterday I was with little Jack at the cemetery, and I told Jack that I needed a sign about the feelings I've been having for Nathan." Elizabeth paused, trying to read Rosemary's reaction. "I closed my eyes, waiting for an answer, and Sergeant whinnied. I opened my eyes, and Nathan was there."

"There? There how? _Magically_ there?" Rosemary's expressive face was working overtime.

Elizabeth laughed. "No, not magically. Just up on the hill overlooking the cemetery. He was, I don't know, he was watching over us. And I felt safe." Elizabeth took Rosemary's hands. "And I think that was Jack's answer."

Rosemary nodded. "Well, if I know Jack, he would find a way to help you if you needed it."

Then Rosemary giggled.

"What?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm just wondering what you would have done if Jack had said no. What I saw today between you and Nathan wouldn't be easily deterred, I think."

Elizabeth frowned. "Just _what_ did you see?"

Rosemary raised an eyebrow. "Let me ask you a question. How do you think I got to my house, past _your_ house, when I left church after you did?"

Elizabeth thought for a moment. She hadn't seen Rosemary and Lee go by. "I don't know. I never saw you."

Nodding, Rosemary said, "Mmmm-hmm." She smiled broadly. "Well, we saw you. And Nathan. On the stairs. And you were touching his finger."

Elizabeth gasped. "You _didn't!_"

Frowning again, Rosemary said, "What was that all about, anyway? Is this a new facet of horse courtship I need to understand?"

Blushing, Elizabeth covered her face with her hands. "Oh, I can't be trusted to have _any_ propriety." Pulling herself up proudly, Elizabeth said, "If you must know, I was conducting an experiment."

To Rosemary's upraised eyebrows, Elizabeth said, "I told you about Nathan touching my hand in the library that day?"

Rosemary nodded. "You said it was like you'd stuck your finger in an electrical socket, if I recall."

"Somewhat," Elizabeth said. "I just wanted to know if it felt the same or if I had only imagined it."

"_And?_"

Elizabeth just took a deep breath and started blushing again.

Rosemary sighed and said quietly, "This makes me so happy, Elizabeth. You had a great love with Jack, but you have to know that you can also have a great love with Nathan, just a different one."

"I'm starting to feel that's possible," Elizabeth said, softly.

"And it doesn't dishonor the first love in the slightest. Jack is happy for you too. You have to know he is."

Elizabeth hugged Rosemary tightly. "I hope I'm half the friend to you that you are to me."

Rosemary looked at her solemnly, "You're my _best_ friend, Elizabeth."

"And you're mine." Elizabeth laughed, and shook her head. "Now there's a testament to odd beginnings. Jack's former fiancée shows up in town trying to take him away from me, and she ends up being my dearest friend."

Rosemary nodded. "I suppose the lesson there is, _never say never!_"

"And now, friend, I need something else from you," Elizabeth said.

"Anything."

"Do you have any riding culottes in my size at the dress shop?"

Rosemary gasped in delight. "If we don't, I'll _make_ you some! Oh, goody, a _project!"_

* * *

After Rosemary had gone, Elizabeth did her housework while Jack played.

It was a beautiful day outside and they were both ready for some fresh air, so Elizabeth took Jack into town to buy a few things at the Mercantile and have a picnic lunch by the pond.

She found her favorite tree and laid out the quilt and some bread, cheese, fig jam and apples. She'd debated on how many ciders to buy and had settled on two. If asked, she would say that she had no idea why she'd chosen an extra one – but there was a reason, and she knew it.

It was the type of Sunday that Elizabeth would normally spend with her son, but she had to admit that she hoped she would see Nathan. So, when he and Bear came around the corner from town ready to go out on his rounds, Elizabeth felt the now-familiar flutter.

_The man certainly knows how to sit a horse._

Except this time, he didn't just tip his hat and ride by. Elizabeth called out, "Are you hungry?"

Nathan grinned. "Starving." He jumped off of Bear and led him to a nearby tree where he loosely tied off the reins, and then he walked over and stood at the edge of the quilt.

Elizabeth shaded her eyes from the sun as she looked all the way up to where Nathan was. "Are you waiting for an invitation?" she asked.

Nathan smiled and removed his hat, placing it formally on his chest. "A gentleman would wait for an invitation. And Mounties are gentlemen."

Elizabeth laughed happily. "That they are. Well…" She made room for him on the large quilt. "You are cordially invited, Constable Grant."

And with that, Nathan took a corner of the quilt while leaning up against the trunk of the tree. He politely kept his boots off the quilt. He loosened his collar and opened his red serge coat a little.

Elizabeth passed a plate of cheese and bread with jam and a cider to Nathan. "It's not elegant, but it will be filling, and the good news is there's a lot."

Nathan nodded. "It's perfect. Thank you."

Elizabeth was about to say something else when she stopped and watched Jack silently get up from where he was playing and move over to Nathan's lap.

Nathan had to pick up his plate and he sat for a moment with both arms raised up to accommodate the unstoppable forward progress of the little boy.

Jack settled in comfortably on Nathan's lap with a new cloth horse that Rosemary had sewn for him, and Nathan looked over at Elizabeth and grinned.

He put the plate and cider down and gently wrapped his arms around Jack to keep him from tumbling off.

Little Jack raised the horse up to show it to Nathan, and he said softly, "Yep. That's a good one. Every cowboy needs a horse."

Elizabeth didn't want to breathe in case she might disturb what she was seeing. She wished she could take a picture and put it in a frame on the small table in the front room.

Jack was asleep in minutes.

"He had a hard night," Elizabeth whispered. "Too excited about the horsey."

Nathan smiled and whispered back, "It happens to the best of us."

Elizabeth asked, "Still starving?"

Nathan gave her a pitiful look and wiggled his trapped fingers, making her laugh. Elizabeth picked up Nathan's plate and sliced pieces of cheese and tore off small bites of bread for him.

She speared one of the chunks of cheese with the tip of the knife and leaned over to hold it out for him.

"Careful," she said softly, and Nathan grabbed the cheese slowly with his teeth.

Elizabeth felt her cheeks reddening and found herself a little short of breath. She frowned and wondered if that indicated that she was again somehow crossing the lines of propriety.

Nathan was beginning to be able to read Elizabeth pretty clearly, and he said softly, "No. You're not doing anything wrong. You are, as usual, being kind. You're keeping a hungry Mountie from expiring on your quilt."

Elizabeth smiled gratefully, saying, "What do I care anyway? I sometimes wonder what all these rules are about."

Nathan nodded. "It's how we're raised, I guess. I still can't sit at a dinner table as a guest and not worry about where my napkin is."

"Oh, I know," Elizabeth said, feeding him another bite. "I can't even tell you how many forks we had on the table in my house."

Nathan was quiet for a moment, studying her.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, suspicious.

Nathan shrugged. "Oh, I don't know, I'm just having trouble imagining you as a city girl."

Elizabeth smiled. "If it helps, I wasn't very good at it."

His eyes soft, Nathan said, "I think you're good at everything, Elizabeth. You're smart, and kind, you're a wonderful mother…" Nathan suddenly felt uncomfortable, aware he might be saying too much.

Elizabeth couldn't take her eyes off of his. Almost whispering, she said, "I don't think I do enough. Do you ever feel that way?"

"Every day," Nathan said.

Elizabeth shook her head and said, "No, you do more than enough. The town is so grateful for you, Nathan. People like you so much, but most of all, we feel safe." Elizabeth looked down at Jack, sleeping soundly in Nathan's arms. "He obviously feels safe." She raised her eyes back up to Nathan's. "I feel safe."

It was getting a little cooler and Elizabeth pulled her shawl from her bag and tucked it around Jack. She encountered Nathan's hand and he gently took hold of hers. They sat that way for a time, looking at each other.

Elizabeth didn't know where it came from, maybe a self-consciousness and a need to fill the silence, but she said, "I've been told that if the Mounties wanted you to have a wife, they would have issued you one."

Nathan laughed softly, still holding on to her hand. "Did Jack tell you that?"

Elizabeth nodded, her cheeks beginning to color.

Nathan raised his eyebrows and smiled at her. "And how well was Jack able to follow that rule?" he asked.

Fighting a smile, Elizabeth said, "Not very well, actually."

Nathan squeezed her hand. "So, it sounds like it's more of a suggestion than a rule, doesn't it?" he said softly.

Elizabeth studied a particularly fascinating area of the quilt. "And where exactly do you fall in this debate?"

Nathan demonstrated that he could have moved his arms at any time, as he reached his hand up under Elizabeth's chin and raised it gently.

He forced her to look into his eyes before he spoke.

"It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The Mounties can have my loyalty and my commitment, but I don't know how they can expect to regulate a person's heart."

"Oh," Elizabeth said, blushing a whole new shade of crimson.

Nathan released her chin and moved back against the tree. If he was honest, he was feeling a little light-headed. He talked more with Elizabeth than he had in years. Or ever. He didn't know he had this many words in him.

While Nathan and Elizabeth were having this conversation under a tree beside the pond, they were sure that they were alone.

But while Nathan held Elizabeth's hand, exactly four people walked by and saw the handsome Mountie in the red serge in the distance sitting with the beautiful schoolteacher. The first three would stay silent, assuming it was none of their business.

The fourth was Florence Blakeley, and by the time Elizabeth walked back through town to head home and Nathan walked Bear to the livery, there was not a soul in Hope Valley that didn't know they were courting.


	6. Chapter 6

Elizabeth heard a knock on her door, and she was pleasantly surprised to see Nathan on the other side.

"Hi!" She had Jack on her hip and was just finishing her preparation of dinner. "Come in!" She opened the door wide, but Nathan hesitated.

"I don't want to disturb you," he said self-consciously.

Elizabeth tilted her head, "Please. You're not disturbing us. Come sit while I get dinner. Are you hungry?"

"No, no," Nathan said, passing her and entering the living room. He was in his uniform. "Allie will have dinner waiting. I'm just stopping off on my way home."

Nathan had never been inside Elizabeth's house before - they had always just said goodbye out front. He looked around and was struck by how homey her place was. His looked a little more industrial, except for the few touches Allie had added.

"It's hard to believe that your house and mine are exactly the same," he said. "It makes me think that I might need a little decorating help."

Elizabeth smiled. "I'm pretty good with a paintbrush. I painted this place myself. You should see what it looked like before I moved in."

Puzzled at her use of only "I," Nathan said, "You were here when you were married to Jack, weren't you?"

"Yes, but I lived here by myself first."

Nathan nodded. "Of course, the independent woman. I can see that."

Elizabeth's eyes softened a little, and her voice was flat. "Jack and I only had four days here. We got married – then he was called to Fort Clay. And he never came back."

Nathan exhaled. "I don't know if I've ever said it, but I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. That must have been very hard for you."

A little brighter, Elizabeth nodded, "I felt like you did say it. The first day I met you when I came to your office. And thank you for saying it again." She moved over to the table with the photographs and picked up the one from their honeymoon.

"This was taken when we traveled to Fort Clay. We had seven days camping on the way." Elizabeth looked up at Nathan. "I just figured this out the other day. Eleven days. After five years courting."

Nathan clearly didn't know what to say, and Elizabeth said, "That's not to make you feel sorry for me. I really did just figure it out. I'm a big fan of math." Nathan was patiently listening to her and she thought she might be babbling. She smiled at him. "It's okay, Nathan. It feels like a long time ago now."

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "And thank you for letting me show you that. I so appreciate that you never make me feel I can't talk about what's happened in my life. I feel like you keep it separate somehow. That it doesn't bother you."

Nathan shook his head, "It doesn't bother me. We all have a history – we weren't born the day we met each other. What's happened to you has made you who you are, and…" Nathan was so relaxed he almost said it, but he stopped just in time. _And I love who you are._

Recovering somewhat, Nathan continued, …and it's the same with me."

Nathan pointed to the wedding photo. "May I?"

"Of course," Elizabeth said.

"It looks like a beautiful wedding." _And you were an incredibly beautiful bride._

"You'd never know that the church nearly burned down the day before and the town spent the entire night before our wedding nailing, patching, and painting."

Nathan frowned, "What? Really?"

Elizabeth laughed, "It took _forever_ to get the fire smell out of that building. It's a good thing you can't smell that picture! It was _terrible!"_

Nathan looked over at her. "You said 'the town' - that the whole town had gotten together to fix it. Before I came to Hope Valley, I might have thought that was an exaggeration. But it's not, is it?"

"No, it's not. All the same people who were dressed in their best at our wedding were the ones who had been in the same building, covered in paint and dead on their feet just hours before. I can't believe we all stayed awake!" Elizabeth laughed. "I honestly wouldn't have been surprised to have said 'I do' and turned to see everyone asleep in the pews!"

Nathan laughed too, something he realized he had been doing more and more these days.

"Please, sit," Elizabeth said, indicating one of the dining room table chairs. "We're doing simple tonight," she said, smiling. "Breakfast for dinner - eggs, bacon and biscuits."

Nathan sat down. "Smells delicious."

"Well, you let me know if you change your mind. There's plenty."

Jack started getting restless on Elizabeth's hip, and she shifted him to the other side. "Oh, Jack, you're getting so heavy!"

Nathan said, "You want me to…?"

"Do you mind?" Elizabeth frowned a little. "He's been clingy tonight. He gets that way sometimes, and I just can't put him down."

Jack went straight into Nathan's arms without a fuss and started playing with the brass buttons on his coat. To keep him occupied, Nathan walked him around the small living room.

Jack soon was trying to climb up on his shoulders. Nathan hoisted him up, and he was so tall that Jack could touch the ceiling, which delighted him. Then he wanted a toy on the floor, and Nathan gently set him down to play.

Nathan had almost forgotten why he'd come.

"I got a call from Headquarters this afternoon," Nathan said. "I'm leaving…"

Elizabeth turned sharply, and she couldn't hide the reaction that had taken her by surprise.

Nathan saw it – the same look he'd seen in the eyes of young Mounties who had been in battle. The look they wore when something suddenly took them back to a memory they'd tried to suppress. A terrifying combination of fear and anger and helplessness.

Nathan went to her, concern in his eyes. He reached his hand out and touched her arm, saying quickly, "No, it's nothing. Just paperwork. Two days at most. They've filled the Inspector position and they want me to assist with the transition for the new man. I'll be back on Friday."

Elizabeth realized she'd been holding her breath, and she took a large gulp of air. She smelled the eggs starting to burn and pulled the pan roughly off the stove.

"I don't know what just happened," she said softly.

"I do," Nathan said, moving her gently to the table, where he sat her down. He glanced over at Jack who was playing happily, and sat down across from her, where he could keep an eye on the little boy.

"It's called trauma, Elizabeth. It's not pleasant, but it's completely normal." Nathan couldn't prevent himself from reaching up and tenderly moving a strand of hair from her face.

"I-I'm sorry…" Elizabeth said, her voice breathy.

"Please don't be. It's understandable. You've been through a lot."

Elizabeth finally met his eyes, and the traces of tears there made his heart tighten. "I'm not a fragile person, Nathan. It's just that when you said you were leaving…"

Nodding, Nathan said, "I know. It took you back. It's natural that it would. I need to be more careful in how I say things to you."

"No!" Elizabeth said hotly. "This is why I was so reluctant to… You shouldn't have to carry this weight for me. It's not fair to you."

Nathan put his hand over hers on the table. "Well, I'm the one who gets to decide that. And it's not a heavy weight, Elizabeth."

Feeling a tear about to fall, Elizabeth reached up and wiped it away. "When did Mountie Headquarters become the enemy, I wonder?" she said ruefully.

"When they took away a person you loved," Nathan said simply.

They sat for a few moments with his hand on hers and the sound of Jack's voice talking to his cloth animals.

Elizabeth finally looked up, a wistful smile on her face. "A couple of days? Friday?"

"Yep. I'll be back before you know it."

"What about Allie? Do you want her to stay here with me?" Elizabeth asked.

_She always chooses kindness._ Nathan squeezed Elizabeth's hand and said softly, "No. Thank you. She's staying with Hattie for the two nights. They'll get her to and from school."

"Okay, then," Elizabeth said. "Thank you for telling me."

The corner of Nathan's mouth went up just a bit, "Well, I'd like to think you'd notice I was gone."

"Of course I would," she said. Elizabeth finally smiled a real smile.

He looked closely at her, to make sure she was okay. Nathan had never seen a person with a face so open, so vulnerable, so heartbreakingly beautiful. He never wanted to hurt her again. Ever.

"Okay," he finally said. "I should get home. Allie and I will have dinner and then I'll take her to Hattie's. I'm leaving at first light."

They both stood and Elizabeth walked him to the door. On the way, Nathan bent down and ruffled Jack's hair. He had lined up all of his animals with the horses in the lead. Nathan smiled. "Take good care of those horses, little man."

Jack stood up and put his arms around Nathan's neck. Taken aback, Nathan stuttered, "Oh, well, okay, good…" and hugged the little boy back. Then Jack just sat back down and started playing again.

Nathan gazed up at Elizabeth with a bemused look on his face and Elizabeth put her hand on her heart. Standing, Nathan went to the door.

"That was pretty sweet," Elizabeth whispered. "He's big on hugs lately."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "So, I shouldn't feel special?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "Actually, you should feel very special. I usually have to prompt him. He did that all on his own."

Smiling, Nathan said, "Well, us guys have to stick together."

Elizabeth looked up at him and before she could stop herself, she put her arms around Nathan's waist and pulled him to her, with her face nuzzled into his red jacket. Nathan hesitated, at first unable to believe that she was so close, but then he circled her with his own long arms and rested his cheek in the softness of her hair, with his eyes closed and his brain willing itself to remember every last second of it.

"Two hugs," he whispered, a little overcome. "I'm a lucky guy." He was sure that she could hear his heart hammering in his chest, but he didn't know that hers was doing the same in her ears, so she didn't notice.

"Safe travels," she said softly, her voice muffled.

She released him and exhaled. Elizabeth was glad for the darkness so he couldn't see how pink she imagined her cheeks were.

Nathan backed down the steps, and at the bottom he said, "See you Friday, Elizabeth. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Nathan."

Walking out to the porch with Jack on her hip again, she watched until Nathan was lost in the night, and the last thing she could see was a small patch of red moving away from her.


	7. Chapter 7

"So, on Monday, class, we're going to use all of our senses." Elizabeth was standing in the aisle of the schoolroom looking toward the blackboard as she explained their next assignment. "And what are the five senses?"

Hands shot up from the seats.

"Opal?"

"Smell!" There were giggles in the classroom.

"Good. Yes, so we'll wear blindfolds and you'll need to identify what something is, only by its smell. So, bring in something fragrant to share with the class."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Appropriate things, please. I know some of you live on farms."

There was more laughter as Elizabeth moved slowly up the aisle. "What's another sense? Robert?"

"Hearing!"

"Good, so you'll bring in something that makes a noise. Be creative! Another one? Rachel?"

"Sight!"

Elizabeth nodded. "So, this one is a little more challenging because identifying things by sight is so easy. What could make it harder? Hattie?"

"Maybe if it's far away?"

"Yes, good! And I'll take care of that one. I'll bring things for you to look at. Another one? Emily?"

"Taste!"

"Yes! So, you'll bring in things that we can taste. Again, be appropriate, please. No hot peppers or snails," she said, winking at them.

Elizabeth had reached the front of the class and she turned to face the open door of the schoolhouse.

_He's back._

Her breath caught as she saw Nathan in his full uniform leaning casually on the door frame. His long legs were at an angle and he held his hat loosely in his hands. He was smiling unabashedly at her.

_He's back. I'm so happy he's back._

Elizabeth suddenly realized how much she had felt Nathan's absence. It had been only two days, but it had seemed so much longer. The realization of how much she cared that he was back made her head spin a little.

"Um, so, where were we? Are there any more senses?"

Allie's hand shot up. "Yes, Allie?"

"Touch!"

Elizabeth's eyes kept wandering to the doorway, and it was inevitable that a few of the students would turn to see what she was looking at.

Elizabeth finally caught her breath and said, in her best teacher voice, "Class, let's welcome Mountie Nathan back from Union City. Let him know that we're glad to have him back home." She smiled at Nathan in a way he wouldn't soon forget.

Everyone turned, and Nathan stood tall in the doorway. He tipped his hat to them, and they all clapped and cheered.

"Alright class, let's finish up so you can enjoy that wonderful sunshine out there."

Elizabeth continued, trying to focus on anything but the bright red jacket in the doorway.

"So… yes. Touch. On Monday, we'll hold things in our hands, and try to figure out what they are only by what they feel like…"

It was a losing battle. And Nathan was enjoying her distraction far too much. She actually thought he was laughing.

"So, are there any more senses?"

Allie raised her hand again, and - enjoying Elizabeth's disorientation nearly as much as her uncle - she grinned and said, "I think there are only five senses, Mrs. Thornton."

"Well," Elizabeth said, trying to salvage some semblance of dignity, "There are those who believe there is a sixth sense, which has more to do with perception and believing in things we _can't_ see, feel or hear…"

_Admit defeat, Elizabeth._

She took a deep breath, "But, that is a lesson for another day!" She picked up her cowbell. "Class dismissed! And don't forget your items on Monday. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!"

The schoolhouse emptied out into the lovely afternoon sunshine, as Nathan quickly moved inside to avoid the stampede. Allie was taking her time getting her things together, but Elizabeth could see the smile that looked to be permanently affixed to Allie's face.

Nathan walked slowly up the middle aisle. He was wearing what Elizabeth called his crooked smile – up on just the right side – the smile that she liked the best.

"Interesting lesson, Mrs. Thornton," he said.

"Yes, well," Elizabeth stuttered, as she gathered her things together, "I'll have to remember to keep the doors closed, even on warm days," she looked up at him and narrowed her eyes, "to avoid unexpected distractions."

Nathan looked at her in mock seriousness. "I thought I _was_ expected. I did say Friday."

Elizabeth couldn't even pretend to be upset. She smiled and said softly, "Yes, you did." She paused, and then stated the obvious. "You're back." She couldn't stop looking at him.

"I am," Nathan said. "I came straight here." He was having a little trouble taking his eyes off of her as well.

"I'm glad."

"To… you know… pick up Allie."

"Of course," Elizabeth said.

They seemed to have lost track of their surroundings. Both were remembering how it felt, two nights ago, to be briefly in the other's arms. They'd replayed the moment countless times in their heads and what they really wanted right now was to be back there again.

"Oh, for Pete's sake."

Nathan and Elizabeth looked down at Allie, who was shaking her head. "Just kiss her already," she said.

She threw her backpack over her shoulder and smiled sweetly at both of them. "I'll just be outside, enjoying the sunshine. Take your time." And with that, she walked down the middle aisle and closed the double doors.

They both simply stared at each other for a moment, processing what they'd just heard and trying to make some sense of how they felt about it.

Nathan was the first to speak, tentatively, "Do you remember our talk the other day about rules?"

Elizabeth nodded. Since Nathan was being so businesslike about this, she thought she should use her teacher voice. "Yes. Very clearly."

"Did we come to a decision?" he asked, narrowing his eyes slightly, "About whether they're good or bad?" He took a step closer to her.

"I don't think so, but I think it's because we may not be very good at following them. Rules, I mean," Elizabeth said. She arched her eyebrows in a silent question.

He stepped closer. Elizabeth hoped he couldn't hear her heart pounding.

Nathan said, softly, "Allie knows me pretty well, actually. I _would_ like to kiss you, Elizabeth."

Nathan's eyes were very blue and were focused completely on her. He was close enough now to reach up and tuck a wisp of hair behind her ear. He kept his hand there on her shoulder.

She took a deep breath, feeling the heat in her cheeks. "I have a question first, Nathan. Are we… are we courting? Officially? Because everyone in town thinks we are."

"I'd like to be. Would you?"

_A man of few words. Well, she could match that._

"Yes."

She had barely uttered the word when Nathan closed the space between them and touched her lips with his.

If she compared this to the touch in the library, it was some exponent she couldn't calculate right now. Elizabeth actually had to put her arms around his neck to keep her footing.

He was so gentle, but there was a fire in him. _Still waters run deep_, she thought. One of his hands tenderly held her cheek while the other held her waist and kept her upright. She just hoped she was still breathing.

Nathan pulled away, wanting to search her eyes. Elizabeth opened them slowly, as if she had just awakened from a wonderful dream. Nathan thought he might still be in one.

What he saw in Elizabeth's eyes was what he imagined she was seeing in his. _This is good. We are good together._

Nathan smiled. "You know Allie will be teasing us all the way home?"

Elizabeth nodded and looked down, blushing a little, "I think we probably deserve it." She looked up into his eyes again and added, "But it was worth it."

The gold flecks Nathan had seen in her eyes in the Christmas lights were still there, sparkling now.

Nathan kissed her again, lightly, and they held each other for a time, feeling how everything had changed, but nothing had. This was inevitable, even a year ago when they met, and on some level, they had known it even then.

* * *

Outside, Allie looked up from her perch on the stairs as the doors opened to the school. She took one look at them and grinned.

With no small amount of admiration in her voice, she said, "Uncle Nathan! Nice!"

Nathan put his hand on Allie's head and turned it toward the path. "O-o-kay," he said. "Show's over." He took Elizabeth's books under his arm and held her hand with the other as they all came down the stairs together.

Allie looked up at him, amazed. "You hardly ever do what I tell you to do," she said.

Nathan gazed over at Elizabeth and said, "I do when it's a good idea."

Elizabeth, always the teacher, felt she needed to clarify some things for Allie. She let go of Nathan's hand and put Allie between them.

"Allie, you know your Uncle Nathan and I like each other, right?"

"Duh," Allie said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, good," Elizabeth said, smiling. Nathan was looking at her, amused, as if to say: _Good luck with this_.

"And do you know what courting is?" Elizabeth asked.

Allie looked up at her and made a face. "I may only be twelve, but I have a brain."

Elizabeth was in full teacher mode now and soldiered on. "We know you have a brain, Allie, and it's a very good one, although I don't entirely appreciate the sarcasm."

Nathan turned a snort into a cough, with only moderate success.

They were walking toward home now, and Elizabeth had only so much time. She decided to cut to the chase.

"So, Allie, do you know the purpose of courting?"

"Yeah, it's for you and Uncle Nathan to decide whether you want to get married or not, even though it's completely obvious to everyone that you're perfect for each other."

Nathan laughed out loud. Seeing Elizabeth's stern look, he said, somewhat apologetically, "She seems to have a good grasp of the idea."

Elizabeth frowned slightly, "I'm not sure that's the definition you'd find in Webster's, but I suppose it will have to do." Nathan could see that Elizabeth was biting her lip, trying not to smile.

Elizabeth stopped walking, because they were getting very close to the town. She bent down so that she was eye-to-eye with Allie, and said softly, "More importantly, Allie, how do you feel about it?"

Allie paused for a moment, her intelligent eyes focused, letting Elizabeth know that she was taking the question seriously.

Allie tilted her head and said, "Mrs. Thornton, if you decided you wanted to marry Uncle Nathan, I think we'd be two of the luckiest people in the world."

Elizabeth felt the sting of tears in her eyes. "Oh, Allie. What a wonderful thing to say."

She hugged her and looked up at Nathan. "You wouldn't be the only lucky ones."

For the rest of the walk home, Nathan and Elizabeth got their revenge – telling Allie only that she would be spending the next day at Elizabeth's with Laura and Jack.

Allie guessed everything under the sun in her quest to find out what Elizabeth and her Uncle Nathan were going to do, but all Nathan would say was that it was a surprise.

By the time they reached Elizabeth's house, Allie was exhausted, and just said, "Fine. I'll wait."

Elizabeth hugged Allie and said brightly, "See you tomorrow!"

Then she turned to Nathan, "What time?"

He took Elizabeth's hand and brought it up to his lips, gently kissing it. "Eight o'clock? That should give us plenty of time."

"I'll pack a lunch."

"Okay."

Elizabeth and Nathan seemed to be having trouble looking away from each other.

Allie shook her head slowly. "Here we go again," she muttered.

Nathan looked directly at Allie and winked. Then he cupped Elizabeth's chin in his hand and kissed her, lightly, before leaping down the stairs.

As they walked away, Elizabeth heard Allie say, "So _how_ long does courting last?"

Nathan put his arm around Allie and drew her to him. "As long as it takes, Allie." He looked over his shoulder and gave Elizabeth a smile that would warm her all night.


	8. Chapter 8

"Rosemary! They're... _purple!"_ Elizabeth looked down at her new culottes in despair. "I can't wear these!"

Looking at her from across the room, Rosemary fluttered her hands like tiny captive birds.

"It's _such_ a good color on you. So… so… _regal!_ You look _stunning_, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth frowned, "Yes, well, I'm certainly stunned." She looked over at Lee, who was suddenly entirely engrossed in the picture book he was showing to Jack. "Lee? Help me out here." Peering over the book, Lee laughed. "Nope. Elizabeth, I learned long ago not to get in the middle of two women on the subject of fashion." He gazed at his wife lovingly. "Especially if Rosemary is one of the women."

Lee looked down at Jack and whispered, "I hope you're taking notes. These are good lessons for you, and you can never learn them too early." He made a funny face, and Jack giggled happily.

Rosemary pouted. "Oh, Elizabeth, I was hoping you'd like them." Brightening a little, she said, "But Clara said you wouldn't, Florence said you'd never wear them, and Fiona thought they might be just a _teensy_ bit too bright."

Widening her eyes, horrified, Elizabeth said, "What, did you take it to the Town Council for a vote?"

Rosemary shook her head. "No, Lee wouldn't let me."

Elizabeth gasped and Rosemary laughed, walking toward her. "Just kidding."

Rosemary started tugging the culottes and straightening seams, "But they do fit well, don't they?"

Seeing the tragic look on Elizabeth's face, Rosemary finally gave in and went to her bag.

Sighing loudly, Rosemary said, "Which is why we made another pair in boring old brown. They're exactly the same." She pulled the second pair out of her bag and handed them to Elizabeth.

"Oh, Rosemary," Elizabeth said, running her hand over the beautiful sable brown fabric, soft but sturdy, and beautifully made. The relief in her face was so acute, that Rosemary had to smile.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said. She gave Rosemary a heartfelt hug. "They're so lovely."

"And you'll look lovely in them, Elizabeth. Nathan won't be able to take his eyes off you." Rosemary raised an eyebrow and said softly, "As if he can anyway."

Elizabeth had already run upstairs to put on the brown ones, and within moments she was back down, looking much happier.

"They're perfect. So comfortable, and I think they'll wear well."

Rosemary folded the purple ones and handed them to Elizabeth. "Keep these. You may change your mind."

Elizabeth thought the purple fabric was almost glowing. "Well, I suppose I'd be easy to find in the dark," she said, laughing. "I'll keep them. And thank you."

"You're very welcome." Rosemary moved in her usual rapid-fire way to a new subject. "So. What are you making for lunch tomorrow?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and shrugged, "Oh, I don't know, I was thinking about using the leftover chicken to make some sandwiches, a couple of apples, maybe some..." She stopped, seeing the deep frown that was taking over Rosemary's face.

"What?" Elizabeth said, "Is that wrong?"

"Oh, my dear Elizabeth," Rosemary said, shaking her head. "You're _courting!_ We need scones, and lemon curd, and madeleines, and... and... _raspberries!"_

Elizabeth laughed out loud, trying to imagine Nathan eating raspberries and lemon curd from his horse.

Elizabeth looked over at Lee, and although he was partially hidden by the picture book, she could see him also shaking with laughter.

"We're probably not stopping for lunch, Rosemary. We have a long ride."

Rosemary was frowning again, "Oh, I suppose you're right. That might be messy." She went to her kitchen cupboard. "But madeleines aren't." She handed Elizabeth the box of fancy French cookies. "I had Ned Yost order these for a tea I was thinking of giving next week at the dress shop. I can get more."

Elizabeth smiled at Rosemary with gratitude. "You're the sweetest friend. Thank you."

Seeing that Jack and Lee were happily reading, Elizabeth went to Rosemary's stove. "Do you mind if I get a cup of tea?" They were entirely comfortable in each other's kitchens and had dispensed with any formalities.

"Pour me one too, will you?" Rosemary said. Rosemary sat down at the table. "This will give me a chance to find out what's really been going on with you two."

Elizabeth put a cup in front of Rosemary and got one for herself.

She smiled warily. "What do you mean, what's _really_ been going on? We're courting. What more is there?"

Rosemary looked at Elizabeth dreamily, "Oh, just that I had no idea that Nathan was so _gallant_," Rosemary said, using the French pronunciation. "When he kissed your hand this afternoon..."

Elizabeth opened her mouth in shock. "Rosemary! How could you have seen that? Unless you were peeking out your window? Are you spying on us?" Elizabeth tried to keep her face stern.

Caught, Rosemary said casually, "No... certainly not _spying_. I heard noises and simply went to _investigate_." She quickly took a sip of her tea, which was still a little too hot. "Oh!"

Elizabeth leaned closer and said, "He is gallant, isn't he?" She shook her head. "It's so surprising."

She smiled, remembering. "But he's not gallant like Charles or Lucas, that studied European suave way. He's gallant in a..." Elizabeth searched for the right way to say it.

"In a cowboy, knight-in-shining-armor sort of way?" Rosemary suggested.

"Yes!" Elizabeth said, her eyes bright. "Yes, exactly! Like he would fight a duel for me or something, or protect me from stampeding cattle, or..."

Rosemary was giggling now, "Oh, Elizabeth, you are a goner. You sound like you're head over heels in love with him."

Elizabeth didn't answer right away. She took a sip of her tea and then said, softly, "I've always been the type of person who has to label or dissect how I feel, and I'm not doing that right now. I'm happy, Rosemary. Content, almost serene in a way. And I haven't felt that way for a long time. Right after Jack died, the world looked so dark to me. I've had lots of moments of happiness since then, but this feels... permanent."

She took another sip of tea, thinking.

"Nathan is just so... so _good_. And strong. And kind. And he makes me think. He's a man you'd never imagine reading poetry, but he loves Blake, Coleridge - the romantic poets. And Emerson, who's always been one of my favorites. There's so much about him that he keeps to himself, but he's not secretive, he just doesn't feel a need to talk about everything the way the rest of us do. But he talks to me. _Long_ sentences."

Over on the sofa, Lee turned to them, smiling. "I had the longest ride of my life with him out to Snake Run Canyon when he first got here. I told him he didn't talk much, and he said..." Lee lowered his voice to taciturn cowboy level, "'Not unless there's something to be said.'"

Elizabeth laughed. "That sounds like Nathan."

Lee nodded. "But I like him. A lot. He's not Jack, that's for sure, but that's not a bad thing. He's steady and I don't think he'd ever lie to me. Good qualities for a Mountie." Then Lee added. "And a friend."

Elizabeth nodded. "That's just it. Nathan is so different from Jack. I can hold them both in my mind and there's no competition. I'm not sure I could be with someone who was too much like Jack. It would be confusing."

Rosemary put her hand on Elizabeth's. "And how is he with little Jack?"

Elizabeth laughed, looking over at her son. "He _adores_ Nathan. It's like he's pulled to this wonderful man in the red coat, like a part of him _knows_ somehow. On Sunday, out at the pond? Jack just crawled up in Nathan's lap and fell asleep."

Rosemary smiled. "I'm just so happy to see you happy. We've all wanted this for you for a long time." Squeezing Elizabeth's hands, she said, "Our hearts were broken too, you know? Not only for ourselves without Jack, but most of all for you, sweet Elizabeth. We didn't know if you were going to survive." Rosemary's eyes were glistening. "But you were so strong, and that meant we had to be too."

Elizabeth said softly, almost as if it was a surprise to her, "I've survived."

Rosemary thought she had never seen Elizabeth quite so beautiful.

* * *

The next morning just before eight o'clock Nathan and Allie came out of the row house at the end of the road and walked down to Elizabeth's.

Five minutes later, Allie was sitting on the top landing of Elizabeth's front steps with her arms crossed in front of her.

"I don't need to be babysat, Uncle Nathan."

Nathan and Elizabeth stood down on the road, ready to head over to the livery and ride out.

"I know that, Allie. You're much too old for that," Nathan said. "But maybe Laura could use some help keeping an eye on Jack? He's getting pretty fast."

Allie glanced up and then looked at Laura, who stood on the porch holding Jack. Laura nodded and said, "I could use some help." Elizabeth smiled gratefully at Laura.

Allie thought about it for a minute, and then said, "I guess I could do that."

"Thank you, Allie," Elizabeth said. To Laura she said, "We'll be back before dark."

Elizabeth ran up the stairs and gave Jack one last kiss, and they were off down the path to the livery.

"You're very good with her, Nathan," Elizabeth said.

Nathan looked over at her. "I've often wished there was some sort of instruction manual that came with Allie. It's pretty much one day at a time."

Remembering all her days in the classroom, Elizabeth said, "It is with all children. You've done a wonderful job raising her."

Nathan didn't take compliments well, and Elizabeth knew it. She turned and looked him right in the eye and raised her eyebrows. Finally, he laughed softly and said, "Thank you for saying so."

"You're welcome."

Elizabeth was excited about a day of riding ahead. "So how do we do this?" she asked. "Do we ride out together on one horse, so we don't need to lead Allie's back home?"

Nathan turned and looked sideways at her, a grin threatening to surface.

"What have I said now?" Elizabeth asked.

Nathan said, "Well, much as I would enjoy sharing a saddle with you for half the day, it's not good for a horse to ride double for any distance. It puts a strain on their back."

Elizabeth frowned and realized she hadn't thought through the logistics of two people in a saddle. Jack had always sat back behind the saddle, but that was when he was first teaching her, and only for very short periods of time.

On a long ride, of course that wouldn't work, and they would both be forced to share that small space...

She felt the tingling of heat coming into her cheeks and realized that Nathan had been watching her work out the physics of the thing.

She stole a glance at him and exhaled sharply. "Oh, if I could change one thing about myself it would be that I not blush at the drop of a hat!"

Now the grin did escape. Nathan said, "I'm partial to your pink cheeks, myself." He reached over and gently touched his finger on her forehead. "It's like a little window into your thoughts."

Indignant, Elizabeth pulled herself up to her full height, which still only reached just past Nathan's chin. "I'm not sure I want you peering in that window, thank you very much."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Then I guess you'd better stop having those thoughts."

They'd reached the livery.

Elizabeth laughed and made a face at him and they went their separate ways to get Bear and Sergeant.

They had a long ride today.


	9. Chapter 9

Elizabeth couldn't remember a better day for riding. Bright blue sky with just a trace of clouds, a light breeze, and the spring wildflowers in bloom.

They were at a nice, slow walk with plenty of time and they were craving each other's company. The idea of a full day with no one else around made them both feel rich.

They rode close on the path, close enough that if Elizabeth wanted to reach out and touch Nathan's outstretched hand, she could. Sergeant and Bear, both Mountie horses, had the same training, and riding side by side was no strain for them.

Nathan turned to her. "Do you remember the one and only time we've ridden together before?"

Elizabeth frowned. "I remember it, but not exactly when. It was nighttime. Why were we riding together after dark?"

Nathan smiled. "Well, it was early on. What did you and I talk about most back then?"

"Allie." Elizabeth said. Then it came to her. "Oh! The haunted cabin, when Allie scared the wits out of Robert and Opal! Poor Opal. I can still see her in that sling."

Nathan looked down at his reins. "We had our first fight that night, you and I. You said something to me that I'll never forget."

"Oh, dear," Elizabeth said. "Am I going to like hearing this?"

"The point of saying this to you is that you were right."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "Good. Then I'll probably like hearing it."

"You said, 'I'm sorry your job makes you think the worst of people.'"

Elizabeth grimaced. "That was a little severe of me."

Nathan paused. "It was true. I was thinking the worst of Lucas at the time. But what I couldn't tell you is that I was... well, I was jealous." He smiled ruefully. "I'll admit that it was not my finest hour."

Elizabeth turned, her face serious, "Lucas has always been a friend, Nathan. Never anything more." She laughed softly, "Honestly, can you see me with a man who owns a saloon, does card tricks and talks smoother than silk?"

"I thought he might remind you of the people in Hamilton," Nathan said, focusing himself purposely on the road in front of them. The truth was, he was worried about the answer she might give him.

"That would not have helped his case," Elizabeth said, looking over at him. "I've realized that life is too easy for me there. Servants laying out my clothes each day. I used to think that was just the way things were, but now it makes me feel self-conscious and pampered. Spoiled."

Nathan was quiet, but he was listening intently to every word. Elizabeth continued, "And the teas, and lunches, and balls and... there are people who are hungry and can't put shoes on their children's feet and my mother is deciding which diamonds she'll wear. It's just not my life anymore."

She gazed out at the trees surrounding them, sighing. "And this. Simply riding in this... _paradise."_ She looked over at Nathan. "With someone you care about."

Now Nathan couldn't speak. His heart was a little too close to his throat for that. But Elizabeth saw again the softness and the fire in his eyes as he gazed at her.

They both took a deep breath and turned back to look at the road. Both of them so grateful to be right where they were.

After a time, Elizabeth said, "You know, Nathan, one of the really wonderful things about talking to you is that I don't ever feel I have to hurry my thoughts. You give me space."

He smiled and turned to her. "Not everyone has felt that way."

_Finally, a way to broach the subject. There were so many things she wanted to know about him._

She leaned forward casually and ran her hand down Sergeant's sleek neck. "You mean other women?"

He turned and she saw Nathan's crooked smile, the one he showed her when he was amused, or surprised by her.

"I don't want to pry, Nathan," she said quickly. "But..."

He interrupted her gently. "Elizabeth. You can ask me anything and I'll tell you the truth. I don't want to keep anything from you." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "I just want you to be ready to hear the answers."

She took in a deep breath. "Now I'm nervous," she said softly.

He laughed. "On this particular subject, you don't need to be nervous," he said lightly. "There's not much to tell." More seriously, he said, "But there are other subjects... my family, my work... that are more difficult. Just know that I'll always tell you the truth."

She nodded. "Thank you." But now she wasn't quite sure how to begin.

Nathan looked out at the trail in front of them. "So. What do you want to know?"

Elizabeth kept her eyes forward too. _Might as well jump in with both feet._ "Have you ever been in love?"

Nathan laughed. "You don't waste any time, do you?"

Elizabeth shrugged, smiling sweetly at him.

Nathan took a moment. _You mean, before now? How do I stick to the truth here without laying everything out on the table?_

"Yes," he said, with the crooked smile firmly in place. "With Maisie Harper when I was six. She lived on the ranch next door."

Relieved, Elizabeth asked playfully, "And how did it turn out with Maisie?"

Nathan sighed. "She threw me over for an older man. Seven-year-old Angus Baker, from the ranch on the other side. It took me a long time to recover."

Elizabeth laughed. "Ah, heartbreak. You never forget the first one, do you?" After a pause, she said, "And since then?"

Nathan reached his long arm out across the space between them. Elizabeth took his hand. It was warm and comforting.

"No one to speak of, Elizabeth, and never love. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not really a charmer. I say what I think, and not much of that."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "If it helps, I think you're pretty charming."

He looked over and thanked her with his eyes, saying, "Well, you'd be alone in the country of Canada in that opinion. But I'm glad to hear it." He leaned down and kissed her hand.

Elizabeth laughed. "You see? Charming."

He smiled and let go, taking the reins again with his hand. "Also, for the last eight years I've had a little companion in life who has kept me pretty busy. Between Allie and the Mounties, there's not much time left over for anything else."

They rode for a time in silence, drinking in the serenity of the trees, listening to the birdsong all around them.

Elizabeth suddenly stopped and turned completely in the saddle to look behind her. "Wait," she said, and Nathan pulled up.

"What is it?"

"Are we really okay for time? Can we take a little detour?"

Nathan took his pocket watch out of his vest and flicked it open. "Yes, we're making good time. Where do you want to go?"

She was looking for the path she knew was there, and finally saw it. "Here!" she said, and turned Sergeant into the trees.

Nathan followed her, saying, "Where are we going?"

"A surprise!" she said joyfully.

After a short time, they came to a small clearing with a cabin. Nathan came up behind her.

Elizabeth was almost whispering. "Little Jack was born here. In a blizzard on Christmas eve." She turned to Nathan, and her eyes were bright. "It was only Abigail, Rosemary and me. It was like a miracle that we found this cabin in the snow."

Nathan exhaled. "So, the story really is true."

"What story?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yours and Jack's." To Elizabeth's confused look, Nathan said, almost apologetically, "Mounties pass stories on to each other. Of bravery and honor, stories of families, children - and yours was a love story."

Elizabeth looked deeply into Nathan's eyes to see if this was affecting him. She could see that he, as always, didn't feel threatened by Jack, so she asked him to continue.

"Go on."

"I wanted to tell you this today anyway, Elizabeth. When I met you, I knew everything about you – at least I knew the story that was told to me. That Jack was a legacy Mountie with a father who had also died from wounds taken on the job. That Jack's wife was a schoolteacher who had come west from a very well-to-do family. About your engagement, his posting in the Northern Territories, the wedding and then Fort Clay."

Now Nathan was checking to see if Elizabeth was okay. He'd wanted to tell her this for a long time. It felt wrong not to, especially now. Elizabeth was clear-eyed and listening – more baffled than upset, he thought.

"Then the fact that after that very short time together little Jack was born in a Christmas Eve blizzard..." Nathan smiled. "It gave Mounties hope to hear that story, and I guess I thought it had been embellished or exaggerated with time, but you're telling me this really happened."

Elizabeth gazed at him for a moment while he waited for her reaction to what he'd said.

"I suppose if the story inspires people, or gives comfort, it might as well be told," Elizabeth said softly. "It happened, and there's nothing that can change that."

Nathan looked at the cabin. "Do you want to go inside? We have time."

"Can we?" Elizabeth said, hopeful.

Nathan narrowed his eyes. "Remember, we're rule-breakers." Shaking his head, he added, "...says the Mountie. You're a bad influence on me."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and jumped down off of Sergeant. "Get used to it."

The door was unlocked, just as it was that night. It looked very much like it had the last time Elizabeth saw it – minus the snow and the labor pains, of course.

Nathan was looking around, probably an occupational hazard – he needed to know what was in the surrounding woods. "There are dozens of these hunting cabins out here, maybe hundreds. I'm sure you were grateful to come up on it."

"Oh, you have no idea," Elizabeth said, remembering. She smiled. "Rosemary out gathering snow to boil for water, Abigail ripping her petticoats and me raising the roof, screaming." She shook her head. "I was so lucky."

"Women are made of steel, Elizabeth. If men had to have children, the world would die out."

They were standing in the middle of the cabin in a warm patch of sunlight. Elizabeth reached up and did something she'd been wanting to do for a long time. She threaded her fingers through the dark curl at his forehead, gazing at the slightly reddish highlights that burst out in the sun.

Nathan watched her eyes, memorized every facet of her face, then found himself leaning down until he was kissing her again, slowly, tenderly, without hurry. She moved her hands down to the nape of his neck and he could feel her fingers, delicate, on his skin.

But this was different from the safety of the schoolhouse with Allie waiting outside. They were absolutely alone, inside a cabin in the middle of a forest. Nathan thought this might not be recommended in the courting handbook, if there was one.

Inwardly sighing, he pulled away and drew her head to his chest, letting his senses settle a little. He couldn't know that Elizabeth was doing the same thing.

Once she'd caught her breath, but still with her face against the warmth and softness of his vest, Elizabeth said, almost in a whisper, "Are you hungry?"

_Starving_, Nathan thought, holding her tightly. He hadn't ever felt anything remotely like this and it was so hard to let her go – but he exhaled and found the strength. "I'll get the lunch from the saddlebags," he said, starting for the door.

"Nathan," Elizabeth said, and he turned. She leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to his, lightly. She smiled, her eyes soft. "Okay, now you can go."

At the tiny kitchen table in the cabin, they shared chicken salad sandwiches, apples and cherry colas and laughed over the madeleines as Elizabeth did her best imitation of Rosemary saying _raspberries_ and _lemon curd_. She told him about the purple culottes, and he said he'd like very much to see them someday.

She realized she was staring at him when Nathan said, "You're far away, where did you go?"

"I'm just thinking about how strange places are. A year and a half ago I was right here - terrified, in labor, not at all sure I was ready to raise a child alone, still grieving, with a blizzard raging outside. And now, here I am in the very same place, the sun warming us through the windows, and I'm a mother, I feel capable, I'm not sad anymore, and I'm with you. Happy. Full of hope."

Elizabeth smiled at him. "The place hasn't changed. I have. And I think, maybe we'll be here again in ten years or, twenty, or fifty, and it will still be the same place, but things will be different again..." Elizabeth stopped suddenly, realizing what she had just said.

And again, she felt her cheeks redden. She looked down at her lap and tried to control it, but Nathan lifted her chin up and said softly, "Don't close that window, Elizabeth. I like looking in that one."


	10. Chapter 10

Back on the road after lunch, Nathan looked at his watch.

"Are you worried about the time?" Elizabeth asked. "I know we stayed a little longer at the cabin than I thought we would."

"Not worried at all, just checking. We don't have that much farther to go."

"I was thinking – once Allie has her horse, maybe we can all go out riding together," Elizabeth said. "Has she ridden much?"

"I think she'd love that. And no, she hasn't had a lot of practice. I've put her up on Bear a few times and she's done fine, but he's a little too big for her."

"You know I have to go slowly when I have Jack with me," Elizabeth said. Nathan noticed she was sitting up in the saddle and looking over a slight ridge at the side of the road.

"I think we'll need to go slowly for Allie too for a while," Nathan said, puzzled by what Elizabeth was doing.

Elizabeth had a sparkle in her eye. "But we don't have to go slowly _now_, do we?"

_Ah._ Nathan narrowed his eyes and smiled his crooked smile. "Do you want to go faster, Elizabeth?"

"I'll race you!" Elizabeth called out, as she climbed from the road to a flat wide meadow exploding in wildflowers.

Sergeant was ready to run. It took only the slightest touch for him to break into a trot and then a canter, and she took off at a sprint. Elizabeth felt the wind in her face and the overwhelming fragrance from the flowers in the field.

Nathan followed and quickly caught up as Bear rose to the challenge. But in truth, he was enjoying the view right beside her and had no desire to pull ahead.

Elizabeth rode with her hair flying behind her, crying out in whoops of delight, her face rosy and the widest smile he'd ever seen.

They ran to the end of the meadow, side by side, just the right length for the horses, and they slowed to a trot and then a walk.

Elizabeth did the best she could to get her hair in some order, and she knew her face was flushed.

She turned to Nathan and said, "I must look a sight!"

"You have never been more beautiful," he said, laughing.

Elizabeth looked highly skeptical. Nathan shook his head and said, "And that's not flattery or sweet talk, because we know I don't do that. It's just a fact."

Nathan gave her the same look she'd given him first thing this morning. Elizabeth didn't take compliments very well either.

Finally, she smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment."

"You're welcome."

They rode in silence for a while, catching their breath and letting the horses do the same.

The sun had passed its zenith overhead and there was still a light breeze blowing. It was a perfect day.

Nathan and Elizabeth both seemed to be enjoying the tranquility of their own silence and the symphony of the sounds around them - the steady footfalls of the horses, the flying insects that thrived in the wildflowers, and the far away sound of a creek.

They reached a wide area in the road, and Elizabeth pulled Sergeant over to the side and jumped down. She took the reins over Sergeant's head and said, "Can we walk?" to Nathan. "I like to give him a rest from carrying me once in a while."

Nathan leaned over the horn on his saddle and looked down at her from Bear. He raised an eyebrow. She was walking a little funny. "You sure it isn't just that you're sore?" he asked her, trying not to smile.

Elizabeth attempted an indignant look but couldn't pull it off. "Okay," she said, laughing, "this is the farthest I've ridden in a long time..." At his grin, she said, "All right, _ever."_

Nathan jumped down and stood beside her. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I get sore sometimes, too."

She turned, surprised. "You? A big strong Mountie?"

"Yep," he said, pulling the reins over Bear's neck and falling into pace with Elizabeth. "Feels good to walk anyway."

"How are we really doing on the time? I was the one who wanted to go to the cabin, and I can ride if we need to," Elizabeth said. "I don't want that detour to make you late."

Nathan looked off into the distance and it seemed to Elizabeth that he was embarrassed about something. "The truth is, Elizabeth, I couldn't wait for this day to start, so I may have gotten us headed out a little early. We're meeting him at the crossroads to Silverton, and even if we walk all the way there, we'll probably get there before he does." Nathan smiled sheepishly, "I've actually been looking at my watch to see how I could drag things out a little more."

Elizabeth smiled. "That's very sweet. I've been looking forward to today, too." She laughed softly. "Rosemary calls it 'horse courting.'"

Nathan smiled, "Time-honored tradition."

"In your family? Or the Mounties?" Elizabeth asked. Jack had always loved riding with her too.

"Both. As I said, I grew up on a ranch. During my _very_ short and unsuccessful romantic career, it was how you were expected to pick a girl up for a date."

"What about that whole 'riding double' thing?" Elizabeth asked.

"Short distances only. And the boy sits back behind the cantle just in front of the horse's hips. Not very comfortable but offset by the fact that you get to put your arms around the girl's waist so you don't fall off." He winked at Elizabeth, and she laughed.

"These are things we _definitely_ did not learn in Hamilton," she said. "But you can't just breeze past that information, Nathan. Your very short and unsuccessful romantic career? I find that hard to believe."

"Well, you'd believe it if you'd have seen me. At sixteen I weighed about fifty pounds less than I do now, but I was just as tall. I tripped over everything in my path and seemed to develop a stutter when I even tried to talk to a girl." He laughed. "Oh, I was a catch, all right."

"Yes, but girls like that. We don't want the slick ones. We like the ones who trip over their feet and stutter," Elizabeth said.

"No," Nathan said. "You like that _now._ But at sixteen years old, you want the slick ones." Nathan was laughing, relaxed, and his guard was down. "Sarah always did."

Elizabeth turned to him, her face open. "Sarah?"

Nathan stopped laughing and took a breath. "My sister."

Elizabeth looked down at the road. After a moment she said, "May I ask you about her?"

Nathan nodded. "Yes. I want you to. But she died, and it's not a pretty story, Elizabeth."

"Neither was Jack's, Nathan. No matter how it was romanticized by the Mounties." She looked up at him. "All our stories don't have to be pretty."

Elizabeth reached over and took his hand and held it.

Nathan took a deep breath. "I don't mind talking about this with you. As you said earlier, it happened and there's nothing I can do to change it." He squeezed her hand. "You can ask me anything."

"Her name was Sarah? Was she older or younger?"

"The same," Nathan said softly.

"I'm sorry?" Elizabeth said, frowning a little. She must have misheard him.

Nathan turned and looked at Elizabeth. "Sarah was my twin."

Elizabeth stopped and looked at him. "Oh. Nathan."

"When you told me about little Jack being born in that cabin, and the fact that you'd been lucky - and I told you that women are made of steel?" Nathan looked down at the road as they walked. "Sarah died two days after giving birth to a baby that didn't live an hour. It was a boy and she named him Nathan after me. He's buried up on the ranch with Sarah and my grandparents."

Elizabeth felt like she'd taken a blow to the stomach. She felt tears begin to spring to her eyes, but she wanted to be strong for him, so she pushed them back.

She moved closer to him and said simply, "I'm so sorry, Nathan. There's nothing I can say but that."

He turned to her. "I'm glad to be telling you. I just don't want to upset you."

"I'm stronger than I look," Elizabeth said. "So, it was a difficult birth. Was there a doctor there?"

"No, there was a big wagon accident out on the highway and people died, so there was no one there but Allie and me."

Elizabeth was having trouble getting enough air to her lungs just picturing what Nathan was describing. She kept holding his arm tighter and moving closer to him.

"You said Allie was four, so you were about..."

"I was twenty-six." Nathan said softly. "_We _were twenty-six."

"What about her husband?"

"Caleb was a drinker. He was one of those slick ones we were talking about earlier." Nathan's voice faltered a little. "Caleb didn't show up until after the baby had died and Sarah was bleeding a lot. He was drunk and not at all helpful, so I threw him out."

"And your mother and father?"

"My father was already in prison, and my mother was visiting my aunt. The baby was early, and I was home on leave for a week."

They were still walking with the horses, slowly, as Nathan talked.

"Sarah wasn't expecting to give birth for another month and a half, but she was big, so we thought she had her dates wrong." Nathan shook his head, remembering. "I'd lived on a ranch. I'd seen horses and cows give birth, and we were given some training in the Mounties. When she started labor, I thought I could handle it." Nathan's voice became softer as he remembered. "But the baby was breech, feet first instead of headfirst, and he was so big, and Sarah was bleeding so much. I just couldn't..."

Nathan stopped, took a breath and let go of Elizabeth's hand. He turned away from her, toward his horse, and ran his fingers through Bear's mane, collecting himself. Elizabeth put her hand on Nathan's back and rubbed gentle circles, and he suddenly turned back around and drew her to him tightly.

They stood that way, between the horses on the road, as if they were in a cocoon of sorts.

He pulled away and looked at her, trying to see what she was feeling. She couldn't hide the tears in her eyes, so she didn't try. Elizabeth had only one thing to say to him, and she said it in a firm and steady voice.

"It wasn't your fault, Nathan."

He nodded. "I should know that, and it's what I would tell anyone else who was in the same position. But I don't... always... believe it."

He took the reins again and started walking, but now he had his arm around Elizabeth, and they walked together.

"The doctor finally made it the next day, but by then, Sarah had developed an infection and had lost so much blood she couldn't fight it off. Allie and I had time to say goodbye. Of course, Allie didn't understand, she just knew that her mother and her little brother died together. I cleaned the room and fixed Sarah up before I let Allie see her. But..."

Nathan stopped and looked directly at Elizabeth. "What does a four-year-old see and understand? Do you know? I know she heard Sarah. It was so loud and so long, and I couldn't take her pain away. I kept Allie outside of Sarah's room, but that meant I was moving from Sarah to Allie to make sure she was safe - she was crying at times, sometimes curled in a ball... Is all that _in_ Allie somewhere?" The ache in Nathan's eyes made Elizabeth think her heart would break.

"Children are so resilient," she said softly. "I've seen it over and over, how they rise above situations that we think we could never survive." Elizabeth knew she could only be honest with Nathan. "Yes, it probably is in there somewhere, and that's why it's so important to talk about it."

Elizabeth put her hand on Nathan's chest, just to make a connection. "You've loved her, Nathan. Cared for her. She lost her mother and father and you filled that space for her. You may have moved around a lot, but you have always been the strong, stable center of her life. Allie is going to be fine, and it's because of you."

Nathan's voice was barely above a whisper, "I couldn't save her mother."

Elizabeth put her hand on his cheek, gently. "No, and I couldn't save little Jack's father. Our children are strong. We can only give them our love."

Nathan nodded slowly. Finally, he said, "Elizabeth... I know all this can't have been easy to hear. It helps to talk about it."

Elizabeth laid her head on Nathan's shoulder and they walked on. They were silent for a long time. Elizabeth wanted to give him the space to talk or not talk.

Finally, he did. "What they say about twins is true, you know. There's a connection, probably forged in the womb, that no one can touch. But when the other is gone, there's a very big hole."

He stopped walking and turned to Elizabeth, holding her gently by the shoulders. His eyes were as blue as she'd ever seen them, and there were traces of unshed tears there. "I've never said that to another living soul. And it's at the heart of a sadness that I've carried with me for eight years." Nathan kissed the top of Elizabeth's head. "Thank you for letting me tell you that. It feels lighter now."

_The answer to Rosemary's question? Do I love him? Yes, I love him. My heart is full to overflowing with him._

"They're all around us," she said quietly. "Do you talk to her?"

Nathan laughed softly. "All the time. I can't stop. We were inseparable, Sarah and I. It wasn't easy growing up in our house, and we protected each other, consoled each other. She was like the other half of me."

"She still is, Nathan." Elizabeth reached up and touched his face, gently.

They started walking again, and Elizabeth said, "I'd like to tell you something. I don't know if it will help, but it might."

"Okay."

"You remember when you saw me out at the cemetery? When you were up on the hill?"

"Yes."

"I went out there to talk to Jack, to ask him a very specific question. And I needed an answer." Elizabeth paused, wanting to phrase it the right way. "I wanted him to give me his blessing to move on, to love someone else."

Nathan was looking down at his boots, but Elizabeth knew that he was listening intently.

"I asked him to look in my heart and help me with the confusion I was feeling. I closed my eyes and then I looked up and there you were."

Elizabeth sighed. "You looked very handsome up there on the hill, by the way. But the overwhelming feeling I had was that little Jack and I were protected, that you cared for us. And I knew that it was Jack's answer. It was a sign."

Nathan looked over at her. "I'm not sure I believe in signs."

Elizabeth smiled. "I wasn't either. Some other time I'll tell you how _many_ signs Jack has sent me, but I believe it now. I believe they watch over us, guide us, help us through difficult times. But most of all, they give us signposts to let us know we're on the right path. Jack let me know that path was you."

Nathan smoothed her hair, gently. "And I'll thank him for the rest of my life, Elizabeth."

"I guess I'm saying to not only talk to Sarah, but listen for her answers," Elizabeth said. She smiled, "They have a good view up there. They see more than we do."

They both looked up when they heard a noise. A wagon coming toward them. At the same time, they saw the widening of the road up ahead, and the simple board with an arrow pointing to the left that said _Silverton_.

Nathan smiled. "Well, that would be a signpost."

Elizabeth laughed, delighted. "And that would be a wagon with a palomino mare walking behind. Oh, she's a beauty!"

Nathan handled the transaction, paying for the mare before bringing her around to meet Bear and Sergeant.

"So, Mr. Parker, she's nine and she was your daughter's horse, right?"

"Yes, she raised her, but she's off to school and this girl needs a rider. She's a good, gentle horse. She'll take good care of your niece."

"Well, thank you. And please tell your daughter that she's getting a good, loving home."

Nathan took the palomino's reins and both he and Elizabeth mounted up, getting ready for the ride home.

They'd gotten just a little way down the road when Mr. Parker called out, "Hey, don't you want to know her name?"

Nathan said, "I'm certain my niece will want to rename her, but sure, what is it?"

"Sarah," the man called out as he turned the corner.

Elizabeth smiled and looked over at Nathan.

He shook his head and smiled back.

"Simple coincidence," he said.

"You keep telling yourself that," Elizabeth said, laughing and taking the lead on the road.


	11. Chapter 11

It was a long ride home, so Elizabeth and Nathan passed the time with a game of questions.

"Anything is fair game," Nathan said. "You start."

Elizabeth's head was spinning with all the questions she could ask him, but she started with an easy one.

"What's Allie's full name?"

"Alice Rebecca Butler," Nathan said. "I changed it legally to Grant when she started school so people wouldn't ask so many questions. I thought Caleb never earned the right to give her a name anyway, so I gave her mine and Sarah's."

"I love both the names Alice and Rebecca," Elizabeth said.

"Rebecca is my mom, and Alice is Caleb's. She was always Allie, but I suppose she'll have the choice of Alice when she gets older."

"Okay," Nathan said, "My turn. Have you always been Elizabeth? I was Nate for about five minutes in school, but I just couldn't warm to it."

Elizabeth said, "I told my friends to call me Lizzie when I first started school. My father said that name didn't fit a Thatcher and made a point of talking to all my teachers. I was Elizabeth and that was that."

"A rebel even then," Nathan said. "But I think I can see you as a Lizzie. Maybe a Beth, but never Betsy."

"No, not Betsy, please! Actually, several years ago a single father of two children in my class had to leave them alone on their homestead outside of town, and I volunteered to care for them." Elizabeth laughed at the memory. "I didn't know how to do anything; pump water, milk a cow, get the stove started."

She shook her head. "Jack helped me with some of it, but I managed a lot on my own. And I have never been so tired in all my life." Elizabeth said proudly, "When their father came back home, the children named the cow Lizzie after me."

Nathan laughed out loud. "Well, that was quite an honor. The family cow is very important to a homestead."

"I thought so," Elizabeth said, smiling and sitting a little taller in the saddle.

"And were you upset with your father about not letting you change your name?"

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "I was a little younger than Allie, so I gave in on the name, but it only strengthened my resolve to be my own person someday. It's strange how we grow up in a set of standards that aren't our choice, and then are expected to follow them to the letter." She looked over at Nathan. "I was a Hamilton girl, with all the frills and money, and then I wasn't anymore."

"How did your parents feel about that?"

"My mother wanted me to marry Charles Kensington..."

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Even his _name_ sounds like it's dripping with money."

Elizabeth laughed, "Oh, he is definitely rich. And he did ask me, but I said no."

"Lizzie the Heartbreaker," Nathan said softly.

Elizabeth looked at Nathan, her face serious. "I never led him to believe I would say yes. He thought he might be irresistible, I suppose. But I wanted a very different life."

"And how did your parents feel about you marrying a Mountie?"

Elizabeth frowned, "I thought we were going back and forth on the questions – one for you, one for me. You just got five in a row!"

"I'll give you five after you answer this one," Nathan said. Elizabeth realized he was being more serious about this particular question.

"My father offered Jack a job at Hamilton Industries at a very generous rate of pay."

Nathan looked up and laughed. "I would imagine Jack Thornton handed him back his offer and left."

Elizabeth smiled, remembering. "Yes."

"Did they not think of Mountie as a noble profession?" Nathan asked quietly.

Elizabeth paused, thinking through her answer. "A very large part of being a Thatcher is doing the right thing, fitting in with the right people, not rocking the boat, you know?"

Nathan smiled at her. "I hate to break this to you, Elizabeth, but you're a born boat-rocker."

"And proud of it!" Elizabeth said, laughing. She frowned slightly, "So many of those men who died in the mine right before I got here were infinitely better men than the ones my father does business with." She shook her head, "And the women! So strong and capable and blessed with good sense."

"There must be some people in Hamilton with those qualities," Nathan said.

"Yes, absolutely. And my parents are good people. But the honest answer is that they don't understand the noble profession of Mountie. And you need to know that they won't understand your loyalty to it."

Nathan looked sideways at her and said, "You think your father would offer me a job?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Probably."

Nathan was thoughtful for moment, looking out at the trees and the sky. "Truth is, I wouldn't miss the nobility of being a Mountie as much as I'd miss the outdoors. I don't think sitting behind a desk would be the right life for me."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "I'm glad. And I agree." She raised her eyebrows at him, "So is it finally my turn again?"

Nathan smiled, looking down. "Yes."

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "Okay, my question has two parts, and you will still owe me three."

"You drive a hard bargain, but all right, fine," Nathan said.

"Why did you first take the Inspector job in Union City, and then why did you turn it down?"

Nathan's face went blank for a moment and she could see him trying to compose his answer. He'd suddenly found a spot on the pommel of his saddle that badly needed cleaning.

"Do we need to put you on a stopwatch?" Elizabeth asked sweetly. She had known this would be difficult for him, but she'd wanted to ask him this for a long time.

"I think those two questions should be equal to five due to a higher degree of difficulty," Nathan said, suppressing a smile.

"Agreed," she said quickly.

Nathan took a deep breath. "I took the job because I didn't think I could stand to watch you and Lucas courting in a town as small as Hope Valley," Nathan said. His eyes were very blue, and he was completely focused on her. His answer and his gaze made Elizabeth a little light-headed.

Her voice was just above a whisper. "But we weren't courting. We never were."

"I didn't know that. When you chose him to dance with, I thought you were letting us all know that you were." Even now, with Elizabeth's care for him clear in her eyes, Nathan felt the ache he remembered from that night.

Elizabeth spoke very softly, "No one else was going to ask him, Nathan. I looked for you first but didn't see you, and he was alone. I didn't know what else to do."

He smiled softly at her. "You were being kind. It's what you always do."

Elizabeth said, "I left the dance after that, to come and tell you I'd looked for you. That I'd wanted to ask you to dance." Elizabeth looked down at the reins in her hand. "But I lost my nerve and didn't come in." She looked over at him, smiling sadly. "I watched you through the window while you were writing, for a long time."

Nathan said quietly. "I'm sorry you didn't come in. And I'm sorry I left the dance." He looked at her and reached out his hand. "We almost missed our chance, didn't we?"

Elizabeth took his hand and smiled. "Yes. But you turned down the job and stayed. Why? If you still thought Lucas and I would be courting? Why did you stay?"

"It was Allie at first. When I saw her in your choir at the Christmas service, I saw a young girl who was less hurt, more open, than she'd ever been. Hearing her sing..." Nathan shook his head, remembering, "She was so... grown up and confident."

Nathan looked out at the road ahead of them. "But she did something that pulled me up short. As she was singing, she was looking around at the others in the choir, and she was... memorizing their faces. I could see it as clear as day. And I thought, I can't do this to her again."

Nathan looked back at Elizabeth. "So, I went right after the service and wired Union City and told them I couldn't take the job due to family commitments."

Elizabeth looked down at their hands, still clasped together. "Was that the only reason?" she asked quietly.

Nathan smiled at her. "No. And you may not like this one, but I told you I'd always be honest with you." Elizabeth let go of his hand a little nervously.

"Go ahead."

"If you and Lucas were courting, I wanted to be there for you, even as a friend, because I couldn't in a million years see it working out."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and simply said, "Oh. And why is that?"

Nathan looked her right in the eye. "Because Lucas likes the chase more than the prize. I've seen hundreds of men like him, Elizabeth. Once he had you, the game wouldn't be as much fun. I hoped I could catch you if you fell."

"You wanted to rescue me?" Elizabeth sounded a little indignant.

"No, you were going to have to rescue yourself. I wanted you to have a friend to go to afterwards."

Elizabeth relaxed the set of her jaw. "That's fair." She smiled at him. "And also kind."

Nathan grimaced a little. "I think you know now that I hoped for more. Don't nominate me for sainthood or anything."

Elizabeth looked at him from under her lashes. "Saint Nathan. It does have a ring to it."

Nathan said quickly, "My turn. If you weren't a teacher, what would you be? And you can't say coal miner," Nathan said, smiling.

"Oh! That was my second choice," Elizabeth said, shaking her head and laughing. "Hmmmm, that's a hard one, because I've _always_ wanted to be a teacher."

"You're an extraordinary teacher, Elizabeth, and that's not flattery. The other day when I stood in the doorway to the school, I was trying to make you blush again, truth be told," Nathan said, smiling sideways at her, "but before you turned around, I was just listening. You get your students excited about learning."

Elizabeth smiled, "And did you learn anything, Constable Grant?"

"I did. Up until then I thought we only had _five_ senses," he said, looking serious. "Imagine my surprise..."

Elizabeth glared at him. "You unsettled me. Your jacket was _very_ red in the doorway. It was distracting."

"So were your cheeks, Elizabeth." He raised his chin, "Unsettled? Is that a good thing?"

Ignoring him, Elizabeth said, "So, in answer to your question, I suppose I would be a writer. Let me amend that. A _published_ writer. Wait. A _successful_ published writer."

"Would you ever let me read anything you've written?"

"Yes. I have a book of stories of Hope Valley. I've fallen behind in writing them since I've been working and raising Jack. I still manage to write in my journal every day, but the stories have suffered a little."

"Maybe Allie and I can help you with Jack so you can write more. He seems to like her a lot, and he puts up with me," Nathan said.

Elizabeth smiled gratefully. "Thank you, but it's such a tug of war. I want to be with him, and I want to write, and I want to teach. I want it all. I know Jack enjoys being with you and Allie so much, but then he's still away from me."

Nathan said, softly. "What if we're all together? Allie and I could come down to your house, or you could come to ours. We have dinner, you write, and we watch Jack for you. Then we go to our separate homes."

There was that vulnerable look again, the one that was the window into _his_ thoughts, just as her blushing was for him. Elizabeth loved that he was willing to open himself up that way. She looked down at her hands and spoke as softly as he did. "It sounds almost like... a family."

"Almost," Nathan said. "Elizabeth?" he said, asking her to look up. When she did, he said, "I have another question. Isn't that what we're moving toward? You, me, Allie and Jack? Can we just say it out loud?"

Elizabeth said, "Yes. We can. That's what I want, too. And what you suggested is a way to take it slowly, and that feels right to me. So, yes, Nathan, that's what we're moving toward."

* * *

Nathan and Elizabeth rode back into Hope Valley just as late afternoon was turning to early twilight. They got Bear and Sergeant settled in their stalls with some food and walked Allie's horse over to the row house.

Nathan had already acquired tack for her, and it was waiting at the livery; all that was left was to make some adjustments and they could ride tomorrow.

Nathan was trying to figure out if Allie would let him sleep tonight if he didn't tell her now what the surprise was – and he opted for the sleep. Allie wouldn't be able to ride her tonight, but she would see her.

Elizabeth stood around the side of the row house while Nathan went up to the door. Allie was inside playing with Jack and was in good spirits. Laura was in the kitchen just finishing up the dinner dishes.

"Uncle Nathan!" He had to admit that he loved it when she reacted to his coming home that way. Tonight, Allie jumped up and said, "Do I finally get to know what you did all day?"

Nathan hugged her and said, "Yes."

"Where's Mrs. Thornton?" Allie asked, looking around Nathan in the doorway.

Nathan walked out to the porch and Allie followed him. "Hmmm, I don't know. Maybe we should see if she's around the side."

They walked down the stairs and Elizabeth was standing there next to a beautiful caramel-colored horse with a nearly white mane. She had a long white stripe down her nose and four white socks above her hooves.

Allie just stood there for a moment, and then said, "Mrs. Thornton, did you get a new horse? Where's Sergeant?"

Elizabeth looked at Nathan and he nodded. "Sergeant is in the livery, Allie, in his stall." She was walking toward Allie with a joyful smile on her face.

Allie looked over at her uncle and could see he was smiling too, and she dared to hope.

Nathan simply said, "It's time you had your own horse, Allie. She's yours. Happy Birthday."

Allie's mouth opened and closed silently as her eyes widened. Almost reverently, she took a couple of steps forward and slowly put her hand on the palomino's long nose. The horse, so used to being around a young girl, nuzzled up against Allie's fingers.

Elizabeth said, "She likes you, Allie. Come closer."

Allie looked at Elizabeth and said in almost a whisper, "I'll be right back."

She turned and ran to her Uncle Nathan and hugged him, squeezing him around the waist so tightly that he had to get down to her level and give her a real hug so he could breathe.

Then Allie did something that Elizabeth had never seen, and that Nathan hadn't seen for many years. She cried. All her defenses were down, and large tears were sliding down her cheeks.

"We really are staying here, aren't we?"

"Yes," Nathan said, gently wiping a tear from her cheek.

"Thank you, Uncle Nathan. This is amazing! It's the best birthday present ever!" The wisecracks were gone along with the tough exterior, and Nathan thought Allie looked more like a little girl again.

Allie turned, wiped her eyes on her sleeves, and walked back to where Elizabeth stood.

"My very own horse," she said, as if she still might not believe it.

She looked up at Elizabeth and said, "What's her name?"

Elizabeth looked over at Nathan.

Nathan stepped forward and stood right behind Allie. "Actually, the man who sold her to me told me her name. You can change it, but do you want to know what it is?"

"What?" Allie said.

"Sarah."

Allie turned and gasped. "That's my mother's name!"

Nathan nodded. "Yes, it is."

"I like it," Allie said. And she stepped forward and put her hand on Sarah's nose. "Sarah..." Allie said softly, and the horse nuzzled her hand again.

Seeing how gentle and quiet the horse was, Elizabeth handed the halter rope to Allie and walked over to the porch where Laura was holding Jack. Elizabeth reached her arms up and took Jack from her. "Do you see the horsey?" she said brightly, and Jack pointed, letting her know he wanted to get closer.

Elizabeth walked over with Jack and let him put his hand on Sarah's head gently. The three of them stood there for a time, talking softly, while Nathan watched them from a short distance, transfixed.

Elizabeth left Allie alone with Sarah and walked over to Nathan with Jack, who immediately put his arms out for Nathan to hold him. Jack was sleepy and he laid his head on his shoulder, toying with the collar on Nathan's shirt.

Nathan put his arm around Elizabeth, and she put her head on his other shoulder. They just watched as Allie spoke softly to her new horse.

Nathan's hand tightened on Elizabeth's shoulder, and he turned and kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

"Elizabeth, I don't think I can remember ever being this happy."


	12. Chapter 12

The best part of Nathan's day was when he would go over to the school and walk Allie and Elizabeth home.

Lately he'd been arriving sooner just to watch the last bits of Elizabeth's lessons. He was in awe of her ability to use imagination to make any kind of learning fun.

Whether it was dressing up as pirates to explain maritime law or having each child create a family tree from a small bush they found outside and sitting tiny paper people on the branches – every time Nathan would slip in the door to the schoolroom, something entertaining was going on.

As Hope Valley had grown, so had Elizabeth's class. She now had twenty-three children from age six to seventeen. Providing lessons that worked for all of them was a challenge Nathan wouldn't want to face every day, but Elizabeth did it effortlessly.

Nathan had once asked her how she approached it and he'd seen that familiar energy she always exhibited when talking about teaching.

"When we work on things that help the younger children, the older ones feel good about what they know already, and they can act as mentors. When we do the more advanced lessons, there are always ideas that the young ones take in, especially if we work with pictures and their restless little bodies."

Today it was early concepts of math and the seats were all pushed against the walls to make a large space in the middle. Although the math was simple, Nathan could see that the older children were participating just as energetically, as Elizabeth had described.

"Alright, now five plus three!" She then tapped five students on the head from one side of the room and three from the other, and they went to the middle.

"How many?" Elizabeth would call out, and the students in the middle would count off, _one, two, three_ and so on, until they got to eight.

"So, class, what is five plus three?"

"Eight!"

She repeated the process with subtraction, multiplication and division. The children loved it. It got them up and out of their seats on a warm spring day, and now they had a picture in their minds to go with the concepts.

Today Nathan had ridden Bear over to the school, and he was wearing what he called his "civilian" clothes. He would be going for a ride with Allie once she had gone to the livery and saddled Sarah. She would ride back to the school so they could head out. It gave him a little time alone with Elizabeth.

It had been three weeks since they'd brought Sarah to Allie, and Nathan had been riding with her nearly every day. Allie was a natural and was already a very proficient rider. Elizabeth had joined them for short periods of time with little Jack.

Rosemary and Lee had been begging to spend a day with Jack, so on Saturday, the plan was for Elizabeth to ride out with Allie and Nathan to a nearby lake where they would fish and have a picnic.

As Nathan sat back watching the last of Elizabeth's lesson, he knew they wouldn't be doing that on Saturday. The question was, how to tell her.

"Okay, so there are eight of you in the middle of the room. What happens if we divide you by two?"

The students jostled as they split down the middle. "How many are left?"

"Four!"

Elizabeth clapped. "Very good, children. Tomorrow we'll do the same thing, but on paper. Thank you all for handing in your essays. I'll read them tonight and get them back to you tomorrow."

"Everyone please help to put the seats back in their proper places and then you can go. Class dismissed!"

There was a flurry of activity and a _lot_ of noise and the task was completed in no time. Allie waved to Nathan and said, "See you soon, Uncle Nathan!" and before he knew it, he was alone with Elizabeth.

"If we could only bottle all that energy," Nathan said, as Elizabeth came over and sat down next to him.

"Phew!" she said on an exhale. "We could power the whole town."

Nathan looked over at her.

Elizabeth tilted her head and said, "You have something to tell me, and you don't want to."

Nathan frowned, "How can you know that after ten seconds of looking at me?"

Elizabeth just tapped her forehead. "Psychic."

He nodded, laughing, "I think you just might be. It scares me more than a little, to tell the truth."

"So, out with it."

"Fast or slow?" he said, reaching down and taking her hand.

"Fast," she said.

Nathan took a deep breath. "I need to ask if you can have Allie with you on Friday and Saturday nights because I'll be escorting a prisoner to Murrayville."

They had developed a type of shorthand when things were difficult to speak about. Especially when it was Mountie business. "No pampering me," Elizabeth had said. "Just give me the facts and let me process them."

"What prisoner?" Elizabeth asked.

"William Dean," Nathan said.

Elizabeth gasped and her eyes went wide. "Nathan! He's killed five people! I read that he was caught outside of Cloverdale. Why is he going to Murrayville?"

"He's considered highly dangerous and he's being escorted to and from towns that have lockable jail cells. Four Mounties at a time moving from town to town until they get to the maximum-security prison in Hamilton."

Elizabeth asked, "Why don't they take him on the train?"

"The railroad won't take him because he's a high security risk. Neither will the coach. He's being transported only by wagon or horseback." Nathan saw the fear in Elizabeth's eyes. "Four Mounties, Elizabeth. Two front, two back. And Dean will be trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey in chains with padlocks on them."

Elizabeth worked it all out silently. Nathan just waited until she was ready to ask more questions.

"So, you've been assigned as one of the four Mounties that will escort him from Hope Valley to Murrayville. He'll be spending the night in our jail here tomorrow night and you'll stay at the jailhouse with him. Then you'll ride out on Saturday morning, spend the night in Murrayville Saturday night, and be back Sunday."

Nathan smiled in some admiration. "Flawless."

"Two of the men he killed were Mounties," Elizabeth said, almost in a whisper.

Nathan put his arm around her and pulled her next to him on the long seat. "They were ambushed. We'll be in complete control of this situation, Elizabeth. He'll be in chains and he'll be chained to his saddle. He won't be going anywhere or doing anything we don't want him to."

Elizabeth gazed at him in silence for a time. He could see the thoughts working in her head, how she was using her wonderful intelligence to move past this moment and into the next one.

Elizabeth put her head on Nathan's shoulder, and he held her tighter. When she finally spoke, her voice was clear and strong.

"Of course I'll keep Allie with me. Jack will be thrilled. We can still go to the lake on Saturday if she wants. I know she says she's fine on the sofa, but I wonder if we should get her a little bed for downstairs so she can be more comfortable, or even one in the bedroom upstairs with me? I think Ned could order us one through the Mercantile. I'll stop off on my way home and see if he has a catalog..."

Nathan leaned down and put his finger under her chin. He looked into her eyes for a long moment and then bent to kiss her. Some of the stress she had been holding disappeared as she kissed him back and melted into his strong arms.

When he pulled away, Elizabeth buried her face in his neck, feeling the light stubble of beard and taking in the clean aroma of soap on his skin.

"Thank you, Elizabeth," he said. "This means more because I know how hard it is for you."

"It's only two days, and you'll be relatively close," Elizabeth said. "The hard assignments are the ones that are open-ended and far away."

Nathan said, "And you know that I'm always going to decline those postings. For Allie and for you. Headquarters knows that I'm not ambitious, and that Hope Valley needs protecting too. It's a growing town with a rising population. They're going to leave me here as much as possible." Nathan pulled her closer. "And I have some good news."

Elizabeth sat up. "What?"

"The Murrayville Mountie Office has a telephone. You can sit here in my office on Saturday night and I can call you. We'll just have to let Fiona know."

She brightened and said, "That's wonderful! I'll know you've gotten there safely." Elizabeth smiled, "We've never talked on the telephone, Nathan. This will be a first."

The door opened and Allie burst in. Nathan quickly whispered to Elizabeth, "I'll tell her on our ride."

Elizabeth stood and pulled together her books and papers. "I have twenty-three essays to grade tonight," she said to both of them. "I know it's my turn. Can we do easy dinner tonight?"

Both Nathan and Allie said happily at the same time, "Breakfast for dinner!"

"Done," said Elizabeth, laughing. She closed her desk drawer and straightened up a few things on her way to the door. They all went out together.

"Hello, sweet Sarah," Elizabeth said, stroking the palomino's neck. Allie was caring for her beautifully, and her coat was sleek and smooth.

Nathan and Allie walked with her, leading their horses, the short distance to the edge of town. Before mounting Bear, Nathan drew Elizabeth into a hug.

"You're the strongest person I know," he whispered to her.

Elizabeth laughed quietly into the soft cotton of his shirt, "It's all an act. I'm glad you're falling for it." She leaned up and kissed him quickly. "Go have fun, you two! Dinner at six."

On the way home, as she'd said she would, Elizabeth stopped off and looked at small rollaway beds in a catalog at the Mercantile. Ned didn't even need to ask who it was for.

Nathan, Allie, Elizabeth and Jack were virtually inseparable these days, and some variation of the four of them always seemed to be visible on Hope Valley's streets.

Whether it was Allie, Elizabeth and Jack doing shopping, or Nathan holding Jack on his lap at Abigail's, or Elizabeth and Nathan strolling in the evening while Allie watched Jack at her house – the town was easily imagining them as a family. And it made the town happy.

Most of it.

While Elizabeth spoke with Ned, she hadn't realized that there was another customer in the Mercantile, standing back between the shelves.

Margaret Cooper was a widow who lived outside of town in the house she had shared for one short year in her twenties with her husband. No one knew her age, but Elizabeth assumed she was in her late sixties now.

Mrs. Cooper came into town every day, buying just what she needed for supper. She generally kept to herself, but she made Elizabeth a little sad with her sour look and darting eyes. Elizabeth wondered if she was lonely, and she had asked Margaret to dinner one day last year. Mrs. Cooper had declined firmly and politely.

Which is why Elizabeth was very surprised to see Margaret come from around the shelves now with her face dark and flushed and her mouth set in a hard line.

"Shameful!" Margaret said, quivering.

Elizabeth, startled, said, "I'm sorry?"

"When you said your vows in front of God, what did you think eternity meant, Mrs. Thornton?"

Elizabeth felt as if she'd been slapped across the face and she reacted accordingly. Her cheeks red, her eyes beginning to water and her breath coming quickly, Elizabeth whispered, "Excuse me?"

"It's _forever_, Mrs. Thornton. Not just as long as it's convenient to you. You said forever, and we all heard it."

Ned was listening to this, open mouthed. Finally, he said, "Mrs. Cooper, I think you may be being a bit harsh here..."

Fiona was at the telephone switchboard and she had now stood and come around the corner. Her eyes were wide and even her cheeks looked a little flushed. "Now, wait just a minute..." she said, her anger barely concealed.

Margaret ignored them completely. "You were so in love with your husband that you promised him eternity, and then the moment he's gone, you take up with the next man to walk into town? And another Mountie, to boot. It's _shameful!"_

Fiona walked between them and stood next to Elizabeth, putting her arm around her protectively. "I think you need to leave, Mrs. Cooper."

"Not until I say my piece," Margaret said hotly. She looked down at Fiona's ankles, clearly visible under her skirt, and said, "As if _you_ can talk, Missy."

Before Fiona could react, Margaret said, "My husband died when I was twenty-two. We had less than a year together. But I know what eternity means, Mrs. Thornton, and I've not looked at a man since."

Fiona said, "Well, maybe you should have. You might not be such an old sourpuss!"

Elizabeth was still reeling, but she squeezed Fiona's arm in gratitude.

Margaret placed her basket on the counter and looked back at Elizabeth. "Don't you have enough to do raising that little boy and being a teacher? Remember your vows and set a good example for the children in this town."

Now Fiona could no longer keep silent. "You think it makes more sense to spend your life bitter and alone than to raise a child in a house filled with love and family? Have you seen how sweet they all are together? And how happy? I didn't know Jack Thornton, but from what I've heard, you can be sure a life like _yours_ isn't what he would want for Elizabeth or little Jack." Fiona finally took a breath.

Margaret turned on Fiona. "I am _respecting_ my Charles by honoring my vows."

Fiona narrowed her eyes. "No, you're disrespecting the life you still have by dying with him."

Ned took the items out of Margaret's basket and said, "You're not buying anything today, Mrs. Cooper. We'll see you tomorrow if you can hold your tongue."

Margaret snatched up her basket and stormed out, and Elizabeth finally let the tears fall.

Fiona held her and let her cry, while Ned stood by, shaking his head.

The bell rang again, and Rosemary walked in.

Gasping, she said, "What's happened? I just saw that old biddy Margaret Cooper coming out of here like she'd sucked a whole lemon dry. She almost knocked me over!" She saw Elizabeth sobbing on Fiona's shoulder. "Oh! Elizabeth!"

Fiona turned to Rosemary. "She thinks Elizabeth should honor Jack by spending her life alone and lonely and dying in widow's weeds," she said angrily.

Rosemary frowned and said matter-of-factly, "That's not what Jack would want."

Ned and Fiona turned to Rosemary and said at the same time, "Exactly!"

Rosemary went to Fiona and Elizabeth and put her arms around both of them. Elizabeth was only sniffling now, and she raised her head as Ned handed her a tissue from under the counter.

Elizabeth took a deep breath as she blew her nose quietly. "That was so... _mean!"_

Looking back and forth at Fiona and Rosemary, Elizabeth said, frowning, "It's been almost two years, and Jack even wrote me a letter telling me to open my heart if anything ever happened to him. He told me to love again..."

Rosemary patted her back, saying, "Of course he did. We all know that. Do you know how people smile when they see you with Nathan? When they see you all together? It's what we all want for you, Elizabeth. For all four of you."

"Well, obviously not _everyone_ wants it," Elizabeth said, pouting a little.

Fiona rolled her eyes. "I doubt that Margaret Cooper is the romantic barometer for this town, Elizabeth. I've never seen anyone so unhappy."

Ned was having trouble participating in this conversation, but when Elizabeth looked at him, he nodded his head vigorously in support.

Elizabeth finally smiled at the three of them and said, "You are all very dear friends." She looked at Fiona with admiration. "And I want _you_ on my side in a fight. Have you thought of studying law?"

Fiona raised her eyebrows and grinned. "Actually, I have thought about it. Who knows? Perhaps I will."

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth said, "Well, I need to get a few things for dinner and be on my way. Nathan and Allie are out riding, but they'll be home..." She stopped herself.

Fiona looked at her sternly. "Don't you _dare_. Don't you let that horrible old woman make you think you're doing anything that's wrong. In my mind, you and Nathan are proceeding at a downright _snail's_ pace."

Elizabeth laughed and hugged Fiona. "Thank you."

"I'll walk you home," Rosemary said, getting her own items and putting them in her basket. "Just in case she's waiting outside," she whispered conspiratorially.

"I would appreciate that," Elizabeth said gratefully. She moved to the back of the store as Fiona, Rosemary and Ned chatted at the counter. As she chose the items for dinner, she was remembering the lines she had memorized from Jack's letter.

_I need you to promise me one thing, Elizabeth. You will open your heart to love again. Know that I want nothing more than your happiness._

"Thank you, Jack, for making that so clear," she whispered. "What a gift you gave me with that letter. I won't doubt again that you meant it."


	13. Chapter 13

"The bed won't be here for tomorrow night, but I'm hopeful we'll have it for Allie to sleep on for Saturday," Elizabeth said, taking a last bite of her eggs. "Can you believe how fast things arrive now?" She grinned. "I think the slowness of the stagecoach when I first arrived is the only reason I'm still here in Hope Valley."

"There must be a story behind that statement," Nathan said, folding back the napkin and taking another biscuit from the basket.

"The mothers that hired me as teacher to their children were expecting someone more... mature," Elizabeth said. "I was quoting Latin to them thinking it would make me sound more seasoned, but the truth was, I was terrified. Florence Blakely took one look at me in my frills and hats and told me to get back on the stage to wherever I came from." Elizabeth sighed. "Lucky for me, the coach only came once a week. By that time, I'd gained a bit of a foothold here."

"I can't imagine anyone else teaching us," Allie said from the floor where she and Jack were building towers out of wooden blocks.

"That's a very nice thing to say, Allie," Elizabeth said, smiling. "I can't imagine being anywhere but Hope Valley and in my classroom with you."

Nathan nodded. "This is a very friendly town, but the people here are protective of their way of life, as they should be. I felt I needed to prove myself before I was accepted. And you did too." Nathan took Elizabeth's hand across the table. "Which is why it meant a lot that you made a special trip to the jail when I first got here, just to tell me it might take time."

Elizabeth smiled and looked down at their hands. "It was primarily to welcome you, but it was also for me." She lowered her voice, "I had to get past it."

"I knew that," Nathan nodded and said just as softly, "I thought it was very brave of you."

"I'm not feeling very brave right now, Nathan," she said quietly, certain that the children wouldn't hear. She looked up at him. "My aunt, my mother's sister, told me something once that I've never forgotten. She said that if you turn your back on a thing you're afraid of, it will keep coming back to you in different forms until you face and conquer it."

Elizabeth said, "I thought it was so interesting that you gave me that plaque for the library."

"_Always do what you are afraid to do_," Nathan said.

"Yes," Elizabeth shook her head and smiled ruefully. "But I can't believe I'm back here again. You riding off with the Mounties, and me waiting and afraid something might happen to you."

Nathan looked deeply into her eyes. "Elizabeth. Can you tell me how Jack and I are different in regard to our jobs? Not how we're the same, but how we're different."

Elizabeth said, "It's funny you should ask that, because I was thinking about it just today when we were talking at the school." She frowned, trying to find the right words.

"You told me that you would turn down any postings that were far away, or open-ended, and that Headquarters knew you weren't ambitious. With Jack, it almost seemed that the more dangerous it was, the more he felt he had to go fix it."

She lowered her eyes and spoke softly. "He wasn't supposed to fall in love. He never intended to. It didn't really fit with his plan."

Nathan spoke as softly as Elizabeth. "But he did."

"Yes," she said. "And we made the best of it, but he seemed always to be coming and going, and was so seldom just _here_. I spent so many long hours being afraid." Elizabeth looked up, quickly, "Please don't misunderstand me. I loved and admired him, Nathan, more than I can say. As I told you when I first met you, Jack was an _excellent_ man. He tried to put me first in his life, but there was this feeling that the Mounties were always knocking on the door, always pulling at him."

She smiled, remembering something. "It's how we started, actually. He was only assigned to this town because my father pulled some strings. He was looking forward to adventure in Cape Fullerton and instead ended up, as he described it, 'eating coal dust' in Coal Valley because my father wanted me protected."

Nathan frowned. "But he was such a part of this town. Still is."

"He came to love it," Elizabeth said. "But his original plan was to chase rumrunners in Cape Fullerton. To 'go after the bad guys' is what he always said." Elizabeth thought for a moment, and continued, sadly, "I think it had to do with his father. In a way, finishing the job his father hadn't been able to finish."

Nathan lowered his eyes. "I'm not sure we can ever really measure how much our fathers influence the things we do."

Elizabeth reached out and touched Nathan's cheek, tenderly. "I want to ask you about that someday. Not now, but someday. Will you let me know when you're ready to talk about it?"

"Yes," Nathan said simply. "Soon."

"And," Elizabeth said, "I want to say again what a gift it is that I can talk with you about Jack this way. I'm not sure I would be able to do the same with you without being jealous."

Nathan laughed softly, "Oh, I think we both know that I'm fully capable of jealousy. Lucas has a way of bringing out the worst in me in that regard." He paused. "The difference is, Jack's not here, Elizabeth," Nathan said, looking down at their hands.

"He was such a huge part of your life, and," Nathan looked over at the children playing on the floor, "he's Jack's father. I can't ask you to put everything you shared with him for five years away in that graveyard. I don't want you to."

Elizabeth's eyes strayed to the table just over Nathan's shoulder in her line of sight. "I've been considering putting away some of the pictures," she said softly.

"No," Nathan said, shaking his head. He reached her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "Let's just add some new ones."

Nathan continued, "And what your aunt said? About things happening over and over until you conquer them? What if..." he said gently, "...You _have_ conquered your fear by surviving and still feeling joy in life and giving it to others? And you get to experience a different ending this time?"

Elizabeth smiled, "I've considered that possibility."

Nathan continued, "Do you know that most Mountie wives live out their lives with their husbands coming home to them? They raise children and grow old together? Granted, that's because a lower percentage of Mounties marry, but when they do, they have a lot more to lose than those who don't have families waiting at home. They make different choices." He paused and looked intently at her. "_I'm_ making different choices."

"Like staying here in Hope Valley instead of taking the Inspector position?"

"Yes."

"Do you ever regret it?" Elizabeth asked.

"You'll remember I had seven years with Allie, moving from place to place. It's not all it's cracked up to be." He smiled at her. "I like leaving the suitcases under the bed."

Elizabeth laughed at the way he'd phrased it. "You may not say much, Nathan. But when you do, you have a way with words."

"You must be rubbing off on me."

Elizabeth's hand was still in his, and Nathan stroked her fingers gently. "I noticed when you did this," he said, touching the wedding ring that she had moved from her left hand to her right. "And I wondered how you felt about it."

"Do you remember _when_ I did it?" she asked him.

"Yes," he said. "It was soon after our ride to get Allie's horse."

Elizabeth was silent and pensive for a moment and Nathan caught and held her eyes, frowning slightly. "What is it?" he said.

"Remind me to tell you about something that happened at the Mercantile this afternoon," she said, looking over at the children.

Nathan nodded, "Okay." He was curious but could see she didn't want to talk about it now. He touched her ring again, "So, this?"

Elizabeth smiled and said, "It might be easier to explain if I tell you a story."

Nathan laughed softly. He loved her stories.

"I wrote in my journal a long time ago that I thought I was destined to teach in one of the big city schools in Hamilton. The more I thought about it, I just couldn't. Those children already had so many advantages – and reading about the West, I could see how few opportunities they had here."

Elizabeth said, "But I was stuck in the middle. I couldn't move. I was unwilling to teach in Hamilton, and I was afraid to come here to the unknown."

She smiled at him. "I had to let go of one in order to make a space for the other."

Nathan brought the now bare third finger of Elizabeth's left hand up to his lips and kissed it.

Blushing, Elizabeth realized exactly what she had just said. Nathan's initial wish that they not play games but simply speak their truth had freed her up in ways that frankly astonished her.

Self-conscious, she smiled sweetly at him and said, "My turn to do the dishes, I believe!" She started to get her plate to take to the sink.

Nathan stood up with her. "Nope, you cooked. It's my turn." He inclined his head to Allie and Jack on the floor in front of the stove. "And I know how much you love building castles."

The children were entirely engrossed in their blocks, and the truth was that Elizabeth very much wanted to get in on the play.

But before she did, she put her arms around Nathan, fully aware that for the next two evenings this wouldn't be an option for her. Elizabeth felt his warmth and could hear his strong heartbeat. In the background, she could hear Allie and Jack talking softly.

Nathan's arms came around her and she marveled at how they fit together, their breathing in sync, his hand moving slowly back and forth across her shoulder.

Elizabeth was remembering what she had said at Christmas for the choir performance. _Home is where the heart is. _This was home.

Later, dishes done and castles built, Elizabeth and Allie sat at the table. Allie had finished her homework and was looking through one of Elizabeth's oversized picture books on different species of birds. Elizabeth graded the last of the students' essays and leaned back, rubbing her eyes.

Nathan was on the sofa and had been reading to Jack, but Elizabeth could see that he had set the book aside and was leaning back with his eyes closed. Jack was sound asleep, and even from here she could hear his soft snore. If she hadn't seen Nathan's hand rubbing gently on Jack's back, she might have thought he was asleep as well.

Elizabeth stood and stretched and went over to the sofa, where she sat down next to Nathan quietly. Jack was turned toward her, his rosebud mouth partially open and his hand splayed out on Nathan's collar.

Nathan looked over at her and smiled. He pointed to the place where Jack's chest was resting on his and whispered, "This place right here? This is the warmest place on God's earth."

Elizabeth tried to laugh silently. "I know!" she said. "He's like a little oil heater, isn't he?"

Nathan nodded, not wanting to wake him. He whispered, "I'll take him upstairs and then we should probably go. It's getting late."

Elizabeth leaned over and kissed Jack on his impossibly soft cheek. "Goodnight, my sweet boy," she said, softly. It was only inches for her to do the same with Nathan. She kissed him and whispered, "You're pretty sweet too."

Nathan showed her as stern a look as he could muster. "Don't tell anyone."

Elizabeth rested her head for a moment on Nathan's chest. "Your secret is safe with me, Constable."

After Jack was tucked in upstairs, they stood at the door. Elizabeth hugged Allie and said brightly, "Tomorrow night you'll stay all night. We'll have fun!""

Allie said, "Can we read more of _Little Women?"_

"Absolutely," Elizabeth said.

Nathan put his arm around Elizabeth and spoke to both of them. "The detail coming from Cloverdale should be arriving around four in the afternoon. I'll need to be at the jail from that point on until the others arrive. The other three in my detail will be coming in separately from their towns."

"Do you want us to bring you dinner?" Elizabeth asked.

"Thank you, no need. We'll go two at a time to Abigail's," Nathan squeezed her arm, "and I'll make a trip up here after dinner to say goodbye. How's that?"

"Sounds perfect," Elizabeth said, though if Nathan could feel her beating heart, he would know she was feeling less than perfect.

Nathan knew it anyway, without feeling her heart. He wished he could make it better for her, but he knew this was something they simply needed to move through.

He would go and then he would come back, and each time he did, Elizabeth would trust a little more that he would always come home to her.


	14. Chapter 14

Elizabeth was just leaving the dress shop with Allie when she saw them.

Four Mounties in full red serge on horseback, one at each corner, with a lone rider in the middle. The Mounties sat tall in their saddles. The rider in the middle was weighted down by the chains that held him and bound him to his saddle.

As they rode slowly down the middle of the street, Hope Valley residents came out to stare and whisper to each other.

Bill Avery stood with his rifle at the left side of the door to the jail and Nathan stood to the right with his hand resting on his holster.

"Whoa!" Allie whispered, "That's something you don't see every day." She asked Elizabeth, "Is that William Dean?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said softly. They kept walking slowly while they watched.

Allie looked over at her. "Are you worried about Uncle Nathan?"

Elizabeth turned to Allie and said, "We always worry a little about the people we... care about." She looked up again at Nathan in the doorway. "Especially when they're traveling."

Allie took Elizabeth's hand, something she'd been doing more easily and more often lately. "He's going to be fine, you know. He always is," Allie said.

"Of course he is," Elizabeth said, brightening. "And we still get to see him tonight, so we'll stay cheerful." They had reached a place right across the street from the jail and watched, fascinated.

The process of getting Dean off the horse and into the jail kept the onlookers rapt for a half hour. The four Mounties surrounded him, opened the padlocks to get him down off the saddle, and re-locked them. Then they chained his ankles closely so he could only shuffle when he walked.

Elizabeth also knew that Nathan had asked Kevin to come in last night and reinforce the jail cell with new weldings and more iron.

William Dean wasn't going anywhere.

Now that Elizabeth had seen it, she actually felt better. The process looked to be fairly foolproof, and Dean looked older, more beaten-down than he did in his cocky newspaper photos.

Nathan saw her across the way, and he formally reached up and tipped his hat to her with his crooked smile.

Elizabeth laughed suddenly. She knew he was reminding her of a day last week when Nathan was coming to meet her on the wooden boards outside the saloon.

He'd walked toward the bench where Molly Sullivan was sitting with two of the young sawmill wives. She'd watched them as he approached in full uniform; his campaign hat across his forehead, the red serge jacket, his Sam Browne belt smartly across his chest, and his tall brown leather riding boots. Elizabeth had gazed at his strong jaw, his blue eyes and his easy smile as he turned formally to the three women.

"Ladies," he said, reaching up to hold the brim of his hat lightly as he bowed his head to them.

"Constable," they all said, in unison, a little breathlessly.

When Nathan had reached her, Elizabeth was shaking her head and laughing.

"What?" he said, absolutely oblivious.

"Do they teach you that in Mountie School? The hat tip, the head bow, and," Elizabeth lowered her voice, "_'Ladies."_

He narrowed his eyes at her and smiled, "It's issued with the uniform."

Elizabeth had given him a sweet smile and continued, "And I wonder, Constable Grant, does it help or hinder your ability to keep the peace in Hope Valley, that half the women in this town are hopelessly in love with you?"

Nathan had actually laughed out loud. "That would be something, wouldn't it? The beanpole who couldn't get a horse date at sixteen to save his life, with half a town..." Nathan looked skeptically at Elizabeth, "...did you say, _in love _with me?"

"Mmmm-hmm," Elizabeth said, raising an eyebrow.

Nathan had taken Elizabeth's arm and started walking. They were headed to the livery. "Well," Nathan said, _"If_ that's true, and I highly doubt it is, the operative word there is _hopelessly."_

He'd stopped and turned to her to make his point.

"I'm taken. But I would like to ask you one question."

Elizabeth had simply raised her eyebrows, and Nathan said, "Which half of the town are you in?"

They had reached the livery and Elizabeth had pointed toward Sergeant's stall saying, "Gotta go!" She would tell him one of these days, but it certainly wouldn't be in the livery on her way to muck out a stall.

Now, from his post across the street at the door of the jail, Nathan saw Elizabeth laugh and he knew she'd understood. Elizabeth was standing there with Allie, who was holding her hand, nearly as tall as Elizabeth and looking every one of her thirteen years. And Allie was a smiling, happy, sweet, intelligent girl who was growing up in an extraordinary town.

Before he ducked into the jail after William Dean, Nathan knew he had every reason in the world to get safely back to Hope Valley.

"So, Allie, have you decided about the lake tomorrow?" Elizabeth said as they kept walking toward home.

"Are you sure you want to go without Uncle Nathan?" Allie asked.

Elizabeth said, "I'll tell you a little secret. I would love to have some fishing lessons from you before making a complete fool of myself in front of your Uncle Nathan." Elizabeth made a face. "I do love making him laugh, but..."

Allie nodded, "Oh, you'll be fine. It's not very hard. You put a worm on the hook and drop it in the water. And then you wait." She smiled at Elizabeth. "_Aaaaaaand_ wait."

Elizabeth laughed. "Well, I'd like to go if you would. Mr. and Mrs. Coulter have been looking forward to spending the day with Jack, so I think I'd have to make myself scarce anyway," Elizabeth said.

"There _is_ one rule you have to know about, though," Allie said, looking a little worried.

Elizabeth frowned. "What's that?"

"Uncle Nathan says any fish you catch, you have to clean."

"You mean, like, wash?" Elizabeth asked. "I can do that."

Allie shook her head. "No, I mean like gut, scale and bone."

"Oh." Elizabeth stopped and looked at Allie, her mouth slightly open. She took a breath and said, "Well. I like to learn new things." Though she wasn't entirely sure that was true in this case.

"I'll show you how. It's easy. You just chop off the head, and..."

"Yes, okay," Elizabeth said quickly. "What do you say we cross that bridge when we come to it?"

Allie laughed. "It's kind of nice," she said.

"What?"

"You spend so much time teaching me. I like that I can teach you something," Allie said.

Elizabeth smiled and put her arm around her. "You teach me things every day, Allie."

They walked that way for a moment, and Allie said, "Sooooo..."

Elizabeth looked at her, "Yes?"

"When you and Uncle Nathan get married, what do I call you?"

"Oh," Elizabeth said. Her first thought was to repeat what she had just said about crossing that bridge, but she knew this was a real question for Allie.

And Allie, as usual, was way ahead of her.

"I always call you Mrs. Thornton in the classroom. So, I guess I would still call you Mrs. Grant. But what about at home? Would it would be Aunt Elizabeth?" Allie looked over, her eyes questioning.

Elizabeth took a breath. Of course Allie would wonder about that. She had been grasping toward security her whole life, trying to define things that were undefinable, to find out what the rules were in every new place she'd lived.

Elizabeth's voice was soft. "What would you like to call me?" she asked.

They were on the path now to the row houses, away from the commotion of town.

Allie paused for a moment and kept her eyes on her feet. "I've never had a father, but I can't see any difference in the way I am with Uncle Nathan, than any of the other kids with their fathers." She looked over at Elizabeth, her face open. "Since we've been in Hope Valley, I've wanted to call him 'Dad.'" She looked down again. "I've almost done it a few times, without thinking."

Elizabeth's heart clenched a little. "Have you ever talked to him about this?"

"No," Allie said. "I didn't want to put him on the spot."

Elizabeth pulled Allie a little closer, her arm still around her shoulder. "I can't answer for him, but I'm sure he'd like to hear how you feel."

"And..." Allie started, and then paused.

"Yes?" Elizabeth said, trying to catch Allie's eyes.

Still looking down, Allie said, "That would mean that I would call you... Mom?"

Elizabeth stopped as she felt tears spring suddenly to her eyes. She turned to Allie and hugged her. "Oh, Allie," she said. "Your mother loved you very much, and she'll always be your mother."

Allie pulled away and looked into Elizabeth's eyes, "I know, but I hardly remember anything about her. She's not here. And she never will be. But you are." Allie looked down again. "And Jack could be my brother..."

Elizabeth saw it so clearly. The passionate yearning to be in a family. Elizabeth had taken it for granted her whole life; having a mother, father and sisters. And she knew how much her family had shaped her and protected her, given her roots and stability.

Elizabeth knew she wasn't in a position to make any promises to Allie. And she never wanted to break a promise.

Holding Allie gently by the shoulders, Elizabeth said softly, "I don't know what will happen between your Uncle Nathan and me, Allie. But I know I care for him very deeply, and he cares for me. And we both love you and Jack. If that isn't a family, I don't know what is." Elizabeth smoothed Allie's hair tenderly. "But just know that, no matter what happens with your Uncle Nathan and me, Jack and I will always be here for you and love you."

Allie sighed and said simply, "Life is complicated. I don't know why it has to be so complicated." She took Elizabeth's hand and started walking again. "You and Uncle Nathan love each other, clear as day. I don't understand why it takes so long for grownups to say things that are clear as day."

Elizabeth laughed softly and squeezed Allie's hand.

"I don't know either, Allie," she said. "It _is_ complicated being a grownup. And patience is a lesson I'm still trying to learn too."

* * *

After having dinner, Allie and Elizabeth were making up the sofa with sheets, a pillow and quilt when there was a knock at the door.

Allie ran to it and opened it. Elizabeth never tired of seeing the flash of red reveal itself to be Nathan as the door opened.

She stood with Jack on her hip and watched as Allie hugged him. She thought that anyone watching would clearly see a father and daughter. And as he crossed the room and kissed her on the cheek and then kissed Jack on the head, lingering there for a moment to enjoy the fragrance of the bath she'd just given him, would they see anything but a family?

Allie was right. Why _was_ it so complicated? And though Elizabeth had wanted to make the grand gesture in some romantic setting – she couldn't think of a more loving or appropriate place than this. Nathan was leaving, and she couldn't wait any longer.

So, with Jack on her hip, in an apron, her hair probably disheveled and a tiny spot of flour on her cheek, Elizabeth drew him to her, put her mouth near his ear and said, "I love you, Nathan."

He pulled back, his eyes wide and his lips slightly parted. For a moment he didn't react and didn't even breathe. He kept his eyes on hers and she watched them soften and start to glisten slightly. Then he put both hands on either side of her face and kissed her, tenderly. As he pulled slowly away, he said softly, "And I love you, Elizabeth."

They both felt arms coming around them and though they didn't stop looking into each other's eyes for a long time, they heard Allie say, in her wonderful Allie way, "It's about _time."_

The four of them held each other for as long as Jack would let them. But he wanted Nathan to read him a book and he had no patience or understanding of the earth-shattering thing that had just happened.

But the other three in the room did. They followed each other with their eyes, smiled continuously in their happiness, and wondered if everything or nothing had changed.

When Nathan said goodnight, Allie was grownup enough to give them a moment. "I'll just go upstairs and check on Jack," she said, winking at Nathan. He winked back and said, "Love you, Allie. See you in two days."

"Love you, too, Uncle Nathan."

Nathan turned back to Elizabeth in the doorway and took her in his arms.

"I'm sorry, I seem to be having a little memory lapse," he said, rubbing his thumb gently against her lips. He kissed her on one cheek and then the other. "Did you say something to me earlier?"

Elizabeth smiled, glad to say it again. "I love you, Nathan."

He grinned at her, "That's what I _thought_ you said." He frowned slightly. "So, since we are such good rule-followers, where does this put us on the courting timeline?" he asked in mock-seriousness.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Right on track," she said.

Nathan hugged her tightly. "You're not making it easy to leave, you know."

"Good," she whispered into his chest.

She felt him exhale and shudder slightly. "I _do_ love you, Elizabeth. I can hardly remember a time when I didn't. It feels so good to finally say it out loud instead of just inside my head."

"For me, too," Elizabeth said, pulling away and looking into his eyes.

"Now go," she said softly. "And then come back home to me."


	15. Chapter 15

Elizabeth sipped her hot chocolate and realized how lucky she was to have a little boy who effortlessly charmed everyone he met.

Right now, the group being entertained in Abigail's was made up of Allie, Rosemary, Clara, Bill and Lee. It started out as just Allie and Elizabeth, but as usual, Jack was collecting people around him - no one seemed able to walk past him without stopping. Elizabeth smiled. She absolutely could not love him more.

She'd kept Jack up past his bedtime, and Elizabeth was very happy there was no crankiness happening right now with her energetic boy. His eyes were bright, and he was rewarding everyone with regular giggles.

Elizabeth was sitting facing the door, and for a good reason. When it opened and Fiona poked her head in, Elizabeth was standing up in one second flat.

"It's time!" Fiona said. She was the perfect telephone operator because she was just as excited as the person receiving the call. Fiona had come back to the switchboard tonight just for Elizabeth and Nathan.

"I just talked to him, Elizabeth, he's at the Murrayville Mountie Office, waiting for us to call him back."

Elizabeth's heart filled and she exhaled, releasing all the tension she'd been holding since she'd seen Nathan ride off this morning with three other Mounties and William Dean in chains.

Both Rosemary and Clara were suddenly on either side of her, hugging her.

"You see?" Rosemary said. "I told you he would get there safely."

Clara had tears in her eyes. "Well, go on! Go talk to him!"

Elizabeth went around and bent down to hug Allie and Jack. "Please leave Jack here and come to the office in about five minutes, okay? I won't be long."

Allie grinned, "It's okay, you two can get mushy. I know you want to talk."

Elizabeth and Fiona walked together through the fresh night air to the Mercantile and then parted ways as Elizabeth started for the jail and Fiona turned back to the switchboard.

Fiona said, "It's a little noisy there, Elizabeth. He's not alone in that room. But you can hear him, clear as a bell."

Elizabeth took both of Fiona's hands in hers. "Thank you," she said fervently. "It really is a miracle to be able to talk to him when he's out on an assignment. I could never..." Elizabeth stopped herself.

"I know," Fiona said, hugging her. "Now go! I'll ring you when I have him."

Elizabeth ran to the Mountie Office and sat down in Nathan's chair. Her heart was pounding, but she managed to still her breath a little while she waited.

The phone rang.

Elizabeth picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

She heard Fiona's voice, professional but with a great sense of joy in it. "I have the Murrayville Mountie Office for you. Go ahead."

"Elizabeth?" It was Nathan. He wasn't here but hearing his voice made her feel he was right in front of her.

"Nathan!"

"I'm sorry it's so noisy here. I can't seem to find a quiet place," he said, nearly shouting.

Elizabeth raised her voice too. "Can you hear me?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "You sound good, Elizabeth. So good."

"So do you," she said, but she had dropped the level of her voice. Truth was, she was a little choked with emotion.

"What? I didn't hear that," he yelled.

"You sound good too!" Elizabeth yelled back. They were both laughing now, in delight and at the silliness of what they were saying.

"How was your ride?"

"Long. It's about eight hours at a walk. But it was easy, and companionable," he said. "I had a good talk with one of the men I was riding with. I'll tell you all about it when I get back."

"I'll look forward to it," she said. "And Dean was no trouble?"

"Docile as a lamb. He's locked up tight here and will be on his way again tomorrow."

"Where are you staying?"

"At a boarding house. They're putting all four of us up."

"Is it nice?"

"Nope," he said quickly, and Elizabeth laughed. "The food is terrible, and the bed feels worse. We're all in one big room and one of the men looks to be a snorer," he said.

"Sounds like fun," Elizabeth said, giggling.

"Which is why I'm heading out at first light." Nathan's voice went as soft as it was possible for him to do. "I want to get back to you, Elizabeth."

"I want you back here too. So do Allie and Jack. He's going to miss his story tonight."

"I have a surprise for Jack. A little present I think he'll like. I'll be home by one o'clock tomorrow. I'll stop by your house to let you know I'm back, and then I can get cleaned up and we'll have time for a long walk with Allie and Jack before dinner if you want."

"I'd like that, Nathan." She held the phone tightly, so amazed that she was talking to him. "Oh! Nathan! I almost forgot! I caught a fish!"

"You did? Good for you!"

"And... I cleaned it!" Elizabeth said proudly. "We had it for dinner."

Nathan laughed. "A proper frontier woman. If Hamilton could only see you now."

"I miss you, Nathan. I know it's only been a day, but I do."

"I'm glad, Elizabeth. I miss you too. I won't spend a minute here that I don't have to," he said. "Thanks again for being with Allie. Is she okay?"

"We had such a good time today at the lake. I love spending time with Allie. She's waiting to talk with you."

Nathan's voice lowered a little. "There's a lineup of men here to use the telephone, Elizabeth. I should probably talk to Allie and go." She could hear clearly that he didn't want to. Elizabeth felt she could stay on the line all night, telling him about the lake and fishing and how Jack had touched the scales on the fish she'd brought home and giggled.

"I understand," Elizabeth said. Allie peeked in the door to the jail and Elizabeth smiled. "There's a short lineup here, too." She motioned for Allie to come in.

Nathan said, "I'm probably going to take some ribbing for this because I'm having to say it pretty loudly, but... I love you, Elizabeth. I'll see you tomorrow."

Elizabeth laughed, hearing the catcalls in the background. "I might take some ribbing here too," she looked over at Allie, who was predictably rolling her eyes, "I love you too, Nathan. Be safe. Take your time. Just get home."

"I will," Nathan said.

Elizabeth quickly showed Allie how to wiggle the holder for the earpiece and said that when she did, Fiona would come back on the line to disconnect them.

"Uncle Nathan?" Allie said excitedly into the mouthpiece. "Wow, it's like you're right _here!"_

Elizabeth closed the door quietly and moved over to the bench outside the office.

She was a little weak in the knees, actually. A combination of worry, relief, love and wonder had taken over her limbs and she had to sit.

All those months, for _years,_ waiting, wondering. Anticipating the mail coach. Not knowing whether it would be a letter from Jack or a wire from the Mountie Office. Or nothing, which it usually was. Instead, tonight she knew in just a few minutes. _He's there, he's safe, he'll eat a hot meal and sleep in a bed tonight, and he'll wake up and ride home._

When Nathan had asked her how he was different from Jack in his work, she hadn't even dreamed of this - how different it could be from those terrible days of waiting and not knowing. Elizabeth sighed, feeling like it was a whole new world and she didn't need to be afraid of anything that had happened before.

A few minutes later, Allie came out of the jail. She was beside herself with excitement.

"Can I use this as my report? Talking on the telephone?"

"Of course you can, Allie. What a good idea!"

Allie said, "We can get some books out of the library and find out how a telephone works..."

Elizabeth was listening as they walked back to Abigail's, but a part of her was still hearing Nathan's voice; strong, steady and constant.

* * *

The next morning, Nathan realized he didn't have to worry about waking up at first light, because first light found him just fine. Right across his eyes through the curtainless window.

After getting all of about three hours sleep, he wished he hadn't been right about the snorer, but that man imitated a bear better than a bear.

Nathan turned and put his feet on the cold floor. He got dressed as quickly as possible, and though he was quiet, he realized it didn't matter. The bear was still snoring so loudly that no one would hear him in any case.

Downstairs, he went to the kitchen where the owner of the boarding house was baking. She gave him five fresh rolls, a slab of butter, a few hard-boiled eggs, some jam and a peach and sent him on his way with one canteen full of coffee and one of fresh water.

After picking up Bear at the livery, Nathan was off home. The sun was up, but out on the road, it was hiding behind the mountains, leaving it still a little chilly outside. Grateful for the coffee, Nathan pulled his heavy coat around him.

Because he was getting such an early start, Nathan had decided to make a small detour. He would take the Silverton road and meet the road to Benson Hills at the crossroads. From there, he could retrace the path he'd ridden with Elizabeth and it would only be about a half hour longer. He'd be in Hope Valley right when he said, or even earlier.

He wanted to remember that day, riding with Elizabeth. Their talks, running through the field, the cabin, and most of all how it felt to ride beside her for so long. It would make the trip go faster.

Bear seemed to be anxious to get home too, and Nathan wondered if the livery in Murrayville was as uncomfortable for Bear as the boarding house had been for him.

He chuckled to himself. One of the signs of getting old – being uncomfortable in unfamiliar places. Well, that was okay, Nathan thought. Getting old _with_ someone sounded good. He'd started to wonder if it was ever going to happen for him.

These days Nathan hardly recognized himself. He talked more, felt more alive and relished the idea of putting down roots. His life before Elizabeth hadn't been unhappy – but now it had more purpose. And his relationship with Allie had blossomed. After recently feeling they were heading down a difficult path, Nathan now felt closer than ever to her.

_You don't know until you know_, Nathan thought, smiling and raising his face to the emerging sun. _No one can explain love to you. You have to feel it for yourself._

Nathan had ridden for about four hours and was right on schedule when he saw a wagon off to the side of the road in a small ditch just past the Silverton crossroad. The man sitting in the wagon looked to be ancient. He'd unhitched his horse and it was standing nearby. Nathan thought the horse looked even older than the man.

The old man sat up with difficulty when he saw Nathan's red tunic and campaign hat.

"A Mountie!" the man said, "Saints be praised! I've waited here for hours!"

Nathan tipped his hat. "You look to be in some trouble, sir. I can pull you out of there. You're not hurt?" Nathan had already dismounted and was getting the coiled-up length of rope from its ring on his saddle.

"No, no," said the man, shaking his head. "Just an old fool. I looked away at the wrong time and she pulled me in there."

Using Bear, Nathan was able to help the man back up to the road, but it was a more arduous process than he thought it would be, and it took longer than he wanted it to.

He watched the man steer his wagon toward Murrayville and then turned himself toward Hope Valley, expecting to make up the time on his way.

Nathan wished now that he hadn't been so specific with Elizabeth about the time he would arrive. It was already close to noon and he had at least four hours' ride left. The thought of worrying her made him restless, and on top of only three hours' sleep, he wasn't at his best in the saddle.

He finished off the rolls and the peach as he rode, and he kept glancing at his watch. He would run Bear for a time and then walk him; he was ready for another run when he looked to the right and saw the field he'd raced in with Elizabeth.

He smiled and pulled Bear up the small hill. Just a touch of his boot heel was all it took, and Bear was off and running. In danger of losing his hat, Nathan pulled it off his head and anchored it under his right leg on the saddle.

He was remembering Elizabeth beside him, her hair flying behind her, the sound of her laughter. Nathan looked left and could almost see her.

If he'd been looking forward, he would have seen the large rock partially covered in grasses and wildflowers. Bear saw it, but just a split second too late. He swerved and lost his balance, falling hard on his right side. Bear wasn't hurt, but Nathan's right leg was pinned under his massive thigh.

Just before the agonizing pain hit and he passed out, Nathan was trying to place the sound he'd just heard. It reminded him vaguely of the ranch when his mother sent him out to fetch a chicken for dinner. Just as he lost consciousness, he realized it was the sickening sound of bones breaking.


	16. Chapter 16

When Nathan came to, he had an awareness of two specific things. One was Bear's huge head over him, snorting and spraying him with saliva. The other was a growing sense of a pain the likes of which he'd never felt before.

"Ugh, Bear, off!" he said, pushing the horse's head away. "Not to be ungrateful to you for bringing me around, but ugh..." Nathan wiped his face with the sleeve of his red tunic.

He pulled his watch out of his pocket and was thankful it was still in one piece. And ticking. But it said it was just after 2:30. _Already an hour and a half late._

_Elizabeth_. How many times had he promised her he'd come back to her, and he'd even told her what time. The thought of worrying her caused him actual physical pain, but that pain had a lot to compete with right now.

Nathan tried to sit up and found his head was throbbing. He reached back and touched a bump about the size of an egg on the back of his head.

He didn't realize it consciously, but his training was replaying in his mind.

_Possible concussion. Symptoms? Confusion, yes. Dizziness, no. Nausea, not yet. Ringing in the ears, no._

So that wasn't definitive. He'd keep an eye on that.

Nathan laid back and did mental triage. He tested his extremities, with the exception of his right leg which was clearly in major distress.

After determining that his other leg and his arms were unhurt, he pressed on his abdomen, ribs, chest and collarbone. He turned his head left and right. No spinal involvement, no neck issues.

_Not too bad. Leg and head only. The jury's still out on the head, now let's see about the leg._

Taking a deep breath, Nathan propped himself up first on his elbows. He moaned in pain.

_Pain level 7 out of 10. The bone appears to be broken and will make walking and/or mounting a horse extremely painful and likely impossible._

Steeling himself, Nathan quickly rotated his hands flat on the dirt and pushed himself up. This time, he channeled the pain into a roar that was so loud that it bounced off the mountains and echoed back to him. Even Bear looked alarmed. A flock of birds that had been peacefully singing in the trees flew away in a cloud of flapping wings and warning calls.

_Pain level 9 out of 10. Only because you can't really say 10. Okay, it's probably a 10._

He had been close to passing out again. Breathing hard and sweating profusely, Nathan was now at least sitting up. He managed to drag himself around so he was leaning back on the very rock that was the culprit in his current situation.

"I can't really say it was the rock's fault, now can I, boy?" he said to Bear, grimacing.

Bear snuffled into the grass, agreeing with him.

Nathan picked up his hat, completely out of form and crushed. "Let's see who's in worse shape, me or my hat. My vote's with the hat." Nathan said as he placed it on the rock.

Nathan reached into the pouch on his belt and pulled out his knife. He cut away the top of his boot, his pant leg below the knee, and his sock.

_Probable tibia break, just below knee. Significant amount of blood present, which may indicate open fracture. Blood still flowing minimally, tourniquet likely required. Place between the heart and the wound. And no more pain numbers. It just hurts. A lot._

Nathan pulled off his belt and wrapped it around his thigh. He cinched it tight and the bleeding stopped. He felt for his pulse, and it was at about 130. Pretty high for him.

_Probable shock. Keep warm. Elevate feet._

"Not yet, I need to see what's going on here," Nathan said. He looked up at his horse. "So, Bear, is it better for me to be talking to you or to myself? Which one makes me less crazy?"

Bear ignored him, which wasn't much help.

Nathan carefully peeled the edges of his sock aside. There was enough blood that it was hard to see exactly what was going on.

_With an open wound in the field there is a high probability of infection. Disinfect as soon as possible._

He looked up at his saddlebags where his first aid kit was, and they seemed very far away.

_It has been suggested that saliva may have properties that aid in wound healing and its enzymes may help to disinfect._

Nathan sighed. "I wish I could use yours, boy, because you have plenty of it. But I suppose mine will have to do."

He found a relatively clean part of the sock he had cut away and went to work.

_Injury area approximately five by five inches. Probable bone protrusion. Skin warm below injury. Skin color normal. Sensation normal below injury._

"Okay, so it could be worse." Nathan breathed deeply. "Yes, it could also be better, but there seems to be no severe damage to blood vessels or nerves. It's not life-threatening. Yet." Nathan looked at the sun moving lower in the sky. "But I can't ride all the way to Hope Valley like this, and it gets cold at night."

He looked at his watch again. When would Elizabeth start to worry? Considering her history with Mountie business, Nathan figured she already was.

What would she do? Probably talk to Lee or Bill, tell them her concerns. _They will pat her hand and say I'm just running a little late. Thanks a lot, guys._

Plus, even if they did start looking, they wouldn't look on this road. They would be looking on the road from Murrayville to Hope Valley, not the one from Benson Hills. And this road had significantly less traffic than the other one. Rescue was not looking good in the near future. _I have to make sure I last here as long as possible so they can find me._

Nathan shivered a little. And the pain seemed to be getting better, which was not logical.

_Patients in shock and with traumatic injury lose heat rapidly. Severe pain may lessen due to lack of blood flow._

He needed to get his bedroll and his saddlebags down. Nathan knew he had a bottle of antiseptic and a roll of gauze and before using the antiseptic, he would need to wash the wound. The water in the canteen would do, and it was attached to the saddlebags, which were attached to the saddle.

For a short time, he puzzled how he could get up on one leg and get what he needed, but that sounded far too painful and dangerous to even consider.

Then he laughed out loud. "Bear, I definitely hit my head. How is that saddle attached to you, huh, boy? Come, Bear," he said.

Bear walked lazily over to Nathan and he took hold of the reins. He positioned the horse so that he could look up at the cinch. His arms were long enough to reach up and cut the leather strap with his knife. It wasn't an easy or quick process, but when it was done, it was just a matter of pulling hard on the cinch from under Bear and the saddle fell on the other side along with saddlebags, first aid kit, canteens, hard-boiled eggs, some butter and jam, bedroll, matches, flint, blankets and rope. A treasure trove for an injured man stuck on the ground.

Bear wasn't particularly happy about it at first, but then he just backed over the saddle and enjoyed his freedom.

_And now I've made it well and truly impossible to ride anywhere. I am here until they find me._

He lay back on the rock, out of breath, completely spent.

* * *

Elizabeth had looked out of her window so many times that she finally went out and sat on the top stair of her front porch. She couldn't look at the clock again. She knew it was two minutes later than the last time she'd looked and that meant it was 4:12. Three hours late.

She and Jack and Allie had gone to church and come home for a quick lunch, and since that time they'd been waiting to see Nathan come around the corner.

At three, they had walked to the Mercantile and asked Fiona to call the Mountie Station in Murrayville. They confirmed that Nathan had left very early in the morning, and the woman who ran the boardinghouse had given him food. The livery had confirmed he'd taken Bear.

He was somewhere between there and here. _But there is so much somewhere between there and here_, Elizabeth thought anxiously.

"Elizabeth, what are you doing?" Rosemary said, closing her door and walking down the steps.

"Nathan told me he would be here at one," Elizabeth said, worried. "He left early this morning."

"Oh, my goodness," Rosemary said, taking all the worry on Elizabeth's face and multiplying it on her own.

"Rosemary, is Lee home?"

"Yes, he's inside," Rosemary said. She was already anticipating Elizabeth's next question and walking back up her steps. "I'll get him."

After talking to Lee and convincing him that Nathan wouldn't take any side trips because he would know how she would worry, Lee was ready to take action.

"I'm coming with you," Elizabeth said.

Lee knew better than to argue with her. "Rosie, can you stay here with Jack and Allie?" He kissed her quickly. "And don't worry."

On the way to find Bill, who was always acting Sheriff in Nathan's absence, Lee got all the information he could.

Elizabeth said, "I can't think this has anything to do with William Dean. Nathan said Dean would be on his way to the next station today. They had no problems with him." She looked at Lee, "But what if he's had an accident, or some kind of ambush, or..."

Lee took Elizabeth's hand as they walked. "My mother always used to say, 'Don't borrow trouble,' Elizabeth. We don't know anything. We'll find him."

Within twenty minutes, Bill had called the Mountie Station and they were sending out men to ride the road from Murrayville heading to Hope Valley. Bill and Lee planned to ride toward them, and they'd meet in the middle. It had been eight hours at a walk with William Dean, but at a run they could go five times that fast.

If they thought they were leaving Elizabeth behind, they were sorely mistaken. After saddling Sergeant, she stopped at the Infirmary to put some supplies in Sergeant's saddlebags. She asked Carson to be on call in case he was needed. Carson not only agreed to that, but he brought his bag and said he would ride out with them.

Truth was, Elizabeth had a very bad feeling. She couldn't explain it to anyone, but she felt connected to Nathan in such a way that she knew something wasn't right. She'd been praying all afternoon, and finally, in desperation, she'd even asked Jack for help.

When she and Carson went to join Bill and Lee on the way to the road for Murrayville, Sergeant stopped. He pulled her left. She tried to pull him right and he stood firm. She got angry with him and pulled again, but he was strong, and he refused. She thought he might even throw her if she kept insisting.

Finally, after begging him with tears running down her cheeks, she let go of the reins, and Sergeant peacefully started toward the Benson Hills road.

"Bill!" she called out, and Bill rode back to her. "Is it possible to get to Murrayville from the Benson Hills road?"

Bill thought for a moment. "I guess you could go that way, if you took the Silverton crossroads. It's probably thirty or forty minutes slower, though. Why would he come that way?"

"Because that's how we went to get Allie's horse. And you remember, that's where the cabin is, where little Jack was born. He's been there. If he's injured, he might have gone to the cabin for shelter."

Bill nodded. "Okay, you and Carson go that way, and we'll go on the Murrayville road." He looked up. Sun's going to set in a couple of hours. Take lanterns. We'll meet back here."

Now Sergeant was like the wind. He flew down the road to Benson Hills with Elizabeth holding on for dear life and Carson barely keeping up.

_I hope this is you, Jack. I always thought the term guardian angel was a metaphorical thing, but you'll make a believer out of me._

* * *

Nathan didn't think he could stay conscious if he set the bone himself. Plus, it would probably open the wound again and the blood might start flowing. He was lucky that it hadn't started bleeding again when he'd taken the tourniquet off.

_A tourniquet can only be left in place for two hours without risk of muscle damage and the probable necessity of amputation._

Nathan had washed and disinfected the wound and could see the bone clearly, a fair-sized shard poking out of the skin just below his knee. He'd found deadfall wood all around him in the field, and using two strong pieces, he now had a splint over the wrapped wound and his leg was well immobilized.

He had a fire going and just to add to his visibility, he'd placed his mangled hat on top of a tall stick that he'd secured with rocks at its base.

He was lying on Bear's saddle blankets and had his bedroll blankets over him. His injured leg was propped up on the rock with the only points of pressure on the wood splint.

None of this was done easily, quickly or without tremendous pain. Nathan was as exhausted as he could ever remember being, and after only three hours' rest last night, he knew the shock or the concussion would want to put him to sleep.

So, he sang songs to Bear, and told him stories. He tried to imagine where he and Elizabeth and Allie and Jack would live because he thought it shouldn't be either of their row houses. He wanted another place, maybe even a homestead, not too far away but a place with no memories for Elizabeth. A place that could be just theirs. Maybe with a cow named Lizzie.

_Don't fall asleep._


	17. Chapter 17

It was deep twilight when Elizabeth and Carson reached the path to the cabin. Elizabeth turned Sergeant and again he balked. She tried again and he still wouldn't go into the trees.

"Carson," she said, "You remember where the cabin is, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Can you go there and look inside and if he's not there, keep coming toward Benson Hills?"

"I'm not sure we should split up, Elizabeth," Carson said.

"It's getting dark and we're running out of time. We'll have to go slower when it gets dark. Please, Carson. I'll be fine."

He nodded. "Okay, but stay on the road. I have a pistol in my saddlebag. If I find him, I'll fire off one shot, otherwise I'll meet you further up."

Elizabeth had already turned and was on her way, scanning both sides of the road, looking for something, anything.

She began calling out his name again, as they had been doing ever since they'd started out. Her throat was raw.

_Don't let me lose my voice. Oh, God, don't let me lose _him_._

"Nathan!" she called out, over and over. "Nathan!"

Sergeant was slowing, down to a quick trot now. Then to a walk.

Elizabeth leaned down and stroked his neck. It was wet from running so far and so long, but he'd never let up, and Elizabeth hadn't pushed him even once.

"Are you tired? Good boy," she said, feeling the desperation and tears coming. _She_ was tired, but she knew she wouldn't stop looking no matter how tired she was.

Elizabeth raised her chin. She thought she might smell just a wisp of smoke. She sat up in the saddle and stretched her neck until it hurt, her eyes wide to take in whatever bit of light was left.

She thought she might be imagining things, but it looked like... _a hat._ Raised just above the top of the berm at the side of the road, as if it were floating there.

Elizabeth gasped. This was the field where she had challenged Nathan to a race. Sergeant remembered, and he climbed easily up from the side of the road. And now she knew she smelled smoke, just the last dying embers of a fire.

"Nathan!" she called out, and the hat was becoming clearer, misshapen, broken, sitting comically on top of a stick. And there, on the ground...

_"NATHAN!"_ Elizabeth screamed at the top of her lungs, jumping down off of Sergeant and running, her hair and skirts flying behind her.

He was on the ground covered in blankets and though her first instinct was to go to him and hold him, to feel him real and tangible in her arms, she stopped short. Even in the half-light she could see he was so pale, not moving, his eyes closed.

_Is he breathing? If he's not, this is the last moment I get to have peace_, Elizabeth thought. She was almost paralyzed, caught between going to him and not wanting to know the thing she was most afraid of.

Bear stood a short distance away and he stepped nearer. She thought Bear was coming to her, but instead he bent his neck down and nuzzled Nathan's face before she even had the courage to move.

Nathan's eyes stayed closed, but he mumbled something to Bear and his arm came up flailing feebly to push him away.

_He's alive. Thank you, God. He's still alive._

Now she couldn't hold back. She was on her knees next to him, saying his name, her hands on his cheeks, so cold. _So cold._ She kissed him gently on the lips, not warm the way they usually were, but cold, saying his name again and again.

"Elizabeth?" he said in a whisper. "I must be dead." He opened his eyes and looked at her. She put her face next to his and he reached his hand up to touch her.

"You're not dead, Nathan. I'm here."

"You found me," he said hoarsely. "How did you find me?"

"I'll always find you," she said, finally letting the tears fall. "Always."

* * *

Carson knew where they were because Sergeant waited in the middle of the road for him to ride up, and then climbed the short distance up to the field. By then, he could see them.

Elizabeth had just revived the fire, finding wood all around, and it was blazing now.

Nathan's voice was low and faint, but he managed to tell Carson about his leg. "Open fracture," Nathan said softly, "I couldn't set it. Afraid I'd pass out again. It's a mess."

Carson examined what he could and said, "This is a clean wound, Nathan. You did an incredible job with this all on your own. You probably saved your own life."

Carson said, "What's your pain level?"

Nathan smiled weakly. _Pain levels again._

"Eleven out of ten," he said.

Carson raised his eyebrows. "Morphine or whiskey?" he asked. He liked to have both on hand and give his patients the choice.

"Both?" Nathan said.

Smiling, Carson said, "Nope, choose one."

"Morphine. But Elizabeth can't listen to anything I say after you give it to me. I'll embarrass myself."

Elizabeth smiled for the first time in far too many hours. "I'll write down what you say so I can read it back to you later," she said.

"Always the writer," Nathan mumbled.

After giving Nathan a more thorough examination and administering the morphine, Carson said, "We need to transport you back to the Infirmary and I'll re-set the bone in your leg, suture up the wound and then put on a cast. But we can't get you there by horse. I'm going to ride back and get the wagon."

"I'm staying here," Elizabeth said, as if there was any question.

"Yes, you are, because there's something you need to do." Carson said, softly, "He's moderately hypothermic, Elizabeth. He needs to warm up and the blankets and fire won't do enough. He needs body heat."

Elizabeth's eyebrows shot up. "Carson..."

"I know it's not proper, or whatever Florence Blakeley might say, but it's medically necessary. I just need you to get under the blanket, fully clothed, and lend him your body heat. You don't even have to touch him, Elizabeth." To her speechless look, Carson said, "Think of yourself as a nurse. This is what a nurse would do. If his body is fighting to keep itself warm, it can't use that energy to fight off infection or fever."

"Now I know I'm dead," Nathan said, smiling as the morphine started to take effect.

Elizabeth turned around and said, "Wipe that smile off your face, Constable Grant."

He opened one eye, "You heard the doctor, it's medically nethessary," Nathan said, having a little trouble with his words.

Elizabeth turned to Carson. "Alright. But neither of you can tell _anyone_ about this. Margaret Cooper will have my teaching certificate if word of this gets around."

"Absolutely," Carson said. "Doctor-patient confidentiality."

From behind her, Nathan said, slurring, "My lips are sealed..."

"Carson. _Hurry back_," Elizabeth said, her eyes narrowed.

He nodded. "I will, Elizabeth. But listen for the wagon. I'll need to bring help to get him out to the road. Probably Jesse and Hickam, whoever is available. Maybe Bill and Lee will be back by then. When you hear the wagon, you'll have time to get... properly situated."

As Carson rode away, Elizabeth took a deep breath and lifted the edge of the blanket. She knelt down and Nathan said, "Wait, can you get something out of my saddlebag first?" His speech was slow and lazy, and she could tell the pain had subsided.

"What do you need?" she asked softly.

"It's wrapped in brown paper, about yea big," he said, holding his fingers apart.

Elizabeth found it right away, tucked in a corner. She brought it to him.

"Okay, climb in, warm frontier woman. I promise to be a perfect gentleman."

She moved slowly, not wanting to hurt him. He had been complaining of soreness all over to Carson now that some time had elapsed since his hard fall from Bear.

He moved part of the blanket over as a pillow for her, and she stretched out next to him, not touching.

Nathan smiled and said, "Open it."

Elizabeth turned over on her back and opened the brown paper. Inside was a perfect wooden replica of a Mountie, complete with red serge tunic, striped jodhpurs, tall leather boots, and campaign hat. He was saluting smartly.

"It's for Jack," Nathan said softly. "A man and his wife in Murrayville make them, and I thought Jack would like it."

Elizabeth turned the little figure over and over, looking closely at the exquisite detail in the uniform.

"Oh, Nathan. It's so wonderful."

"I thought..." Nathan paused. "I thought it could be his father, or me. Or both of us."

The day finally overcame Elizabeth and large tears fell from the corners of her eyes and into her hair at her temples. Nathan reached up and wiped one away with his thumb. She turned and buried her face in his shoulder and he just let her cry, holding her gently.

They stayed like that, warm together, until much later when the wagon rattled out on the road.

Nathan was true to his word and was a perfect gentleman. When Carson, Lee, Bill and Jesse arrived to carry Nathan out to the wagon, Elizabeth was standing, tending the fire.


	18. Chapter 18

Bill and Carson rode quickly ahead of the wagon so that Carson could get the Infirmary ready for what needed to be done for Nathan.

"So," Bill asked Carson, "How bad was it really?

Carson said, "It was a close call. If Elizabeth hadn't found him, Nathan probably wouldn't have made it through the night. He was in shock; he was already cold, and his immune system was severely compromised. Maybe pneumonia, infection, loss of blood - there was a laundry list of ways it could have ended out in that field."

Bill shook his head, "She had a feeling about where he was, that's for sure. It would have taken me a while to think of searching on this road."

Carson nodded. "Let's just be glad she did."

Both knew that Elizabeth had come very close to losing another beloved Mountie, and neither of them wanted to imagine what that would have done to her. It was unthinkable.

Carson looked over at Bill. "Well, I guess this means a new temporary Mountie for a while."

Bill shook his head, frowning. "Oh, he's going to be fine, right? Maybe a few days off. We can handle that."

"Bill, I'm suturing up a wound and putting a cast on a fractured bone. Not to mention that until he gets back to a hundred percent, he'll be a slow healer."

Bill's frown went deeper. "And?"

Carson said, "Nathan won't be able to put any weight on his leg for six weeks, he'll be on crutches. He _may_ be able to ride a horse at eight weeks. He'll have the cast on his leg for three _months."_ Carson raised an eyebrow. "Unless you have him sitting at a desk, it's going to be pretty hard for Nathan to be a Mountie."

Bill shook his head. "Naw, I knew a guy who broke his arm and he was back up on a horse in three days. Cast and all."

Carson said, "An arm isn't weight bearing. A leg is different, and especially when the bone breaks through the skin, like Nathan's injury. He could do permanent damage to his mobility if he comes back too soon." Carson said, "He's out for a while, Bill."

Putting his hands up, Bill said, "Don't look at me. I can't do it. My docket is full as a judge." Bill looked behind them at the wagon getting further away. "Does Nathan know?"

Carson smiled. "Not while he's full of morphine. I'll give him his recovery plan tomorrow."

Right behind them, Jesse rode Sergeant and led Bear alongside. Bear's saddle now needed a new cinch, and though he seemed to be fine, they wanted to have him checked out by the vet at the livery to be sure he hadn't sustained any injuries in the fall.

Finally, at the back of the caravan, Lee drove the wagon slowly with Nathan and Elizabeth.

Right now, Lee was glad he had honed the fine skill of _not listening_ with Rosemary. He couldn't understand anything that Nathan and Elizabeth were saying, and he didn't want to.

Elizabeth had insisted on riding in the back of the wagon with Nathan and no one was going to talk her out of it. Nathan was finally warm and Carson had brought extra blankets, but she still held his hand and checked his forehead every now and then to be sure he wasn't getting feverish.

After the agony of the afternoon and evening, Nathan was just happy to be out of pain. He was still weak and he spoke softly, but the morphine made him feel like talking. He especially felt like talking to Elizabeth.

She had started the ride sitting up, but after bending down repeatedly to hear Nathan, Elizabeth finally just stretched out next to him. It would be nearly a three-hour ride back to Hope Valley at the slow speed of the wagon.

Now that she knew he was safe, Elizabeth could actually enjoy the beautiful night. While she was searching for him, she had wished there was a full moon, but now she was glad to just lie back and see the stars.

Nathan felt no urgency to get to the Infirmary and what he knew was going to be another painful process. He knew that setting a bone was not for the faint of heart, and even morphine would only dull what he would feel.

But for now, the pain was gone, his leg was well-padded and comfortable, he was finally warm, and he had Elizabeth lying right next to him.

The morphine not only took away Nathan's pain – it also loosened his tongue and washed away his need to control what he said. His speech was a little slurred and occasionally confused, but for the most part, Nathan was lucid and clear.

Elizabeth started thinking maybe she _should_ be taking notes.

"In order to stay awake right before you found me, I created a homestead for us," Nathan said drowsily. He described it to her in detail, right down to the number of chickens.

Elizabeth started enjoying this game. "How many windows in the kitchen?" she asked. "I need to be able to see Jack in the backyard."

"As many windows as you want," he said.

"It sounds perfect."

"How long was I out there? Six hours? That's a long time to be on the grass with your nose right up against your own mortality."

Elizabeth nodded, "Carson said if you'd gone into a deep sleep, as cold as you were, you might not have made it."

"I'm warm now," Nathan said, smiling. "You're a very good nurse."

Elizabeth laughed. "Another profession. Teacher. Coal Miner. Writer. Nurse."

"Just don't try to do them all at once," Nathan said. "Though I wouldn't underestimate you." Nathan looked over at her. "You never really answered me about how you found me. It wasn't logical for you to look on this road."

"I know this will sound strange, but Sergeant wouldn't let me look anywhere else," she said softly. "He balked every time I tried to go in another direction. Finally, I just let go of the reins and let him have his head."

Nathan laughed. "Horses are very intuitive, Elizabeth, but that's a stretch even for a horse."

"_There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy..."_ Elizabeth said.

"Ah, yes. _Hamlet_," Nathan said. At Elizabeth's mild surprise, he said, "I loved Shakespeare in school." He paused, thinking. "So, now you'll be telling me that Sergeant had help from above?"

She stayed silent for a moment, and then said, "Nathan, I know you said you weren't jealous of Jack, but does it bother you that I talk about him so often? Because I can keep it to myself."

"No, I want you to say what's on your mind, Elizabeth. It doesn't bother me. Honestly, I wish I'd known him."

Elizabeth smiled. "You would have liked each other, I think."

Nathan took her hand and kissed it gently, lingering there for a moment. "We have common ground. We both love you." Nathan breathed deeply. "Well, however you found me, I'm grateful. And if you had help from Jack, I'm grateful to him." Nathan was quiet for a moment, thinking. Then he said, "Toward the end when I felt myself slipping into sleep, you know what I thought about most?" he asked.

"What?" Elizabeth said.

"How ironic it would be for me to finally be truly happy and then fall off a horse and _bam!_ that would be it. There's something not fair about that."

She smiled over at him. "No, that wouldn't be fair."

"And, worse than that, you would be very upset with me, wouldn't you?" he asked.

Elizabeth smiled. "Yes. I would be very upset with you. But most of all, I would miss you."

"That's good," Nathan said drowsily, "A man should be missed."

Nathan pulled the blanket up closer to his neck.

"Are you cold?" Elizabeth said, as she reached over and tucked the blanket all around him.

"Little bit," he said, chuckling, "Maybe you should come closer."

"What happened to being a perfect gentleman?" she said, smiling.

"Aww, I've been a perfect gentleman my whole life and look where it's got me."

Elizabeth laughed, "In the back of a wagon on a blanket with me?"

"Hey," Nathan said. "That's not so bad, is it?"

Elizabeth laughed, tucking the blanket up under his chin and moving closer to him. "No, not so bad."

"Elizabeth," Nathan said, softly, now serious, "If something ever did happen to me, would you do something for me?"

Elizabeth's heart tightened and she said crisply, "Nothing is going to happen to you, Nathan."

"But if it did..."

"Okay," she said, sighing and knowing he wouldn't let go of it until he said it, "If it did."

"Would you take Allie?"

Elizabeth couldn't breathe for a moment, and then she absolutely knew the answer to his question. "Yes, Nathan." And since his heart was so open, morphine or not, she opened hers. "I already love her like a daughter. I would take care of her as my own. That's a promise."

"Thank you," Nathan said. "And, I may be under the influence of a very strong drug right now, and you may think I won't remember any of this. But I'll remember it all."

Elizabeth leaned over. "Then remember this," she said. She kissed him, and lingered there for a moment. This time his lips were warm. "I was so worried about you, Nathan."

He looked at her, "I was worried about me too," he said, frowning. "I won't be able to explain this very well in my condition, so ask me later and I'll do it better. But..." he raised an eyebrow. "...it's a very strange feeling to have only yourself to solve a number of problems with only what's already in your brain."

Elizabeth laughed. "Should I be worried? I understood that perfectly."

Nathan laughed too. "Maybe." He shook his head. "But you know what I mean? No books, no notes, no one around. Just trying to remember what the symptoms of shock are, or the fact that a tourniquet can only be in place for two hours."

"Really?" Elizabeth said. "I would have thought four or five."

Nathan smiled. "That would not be good. Our bodies really need blood and they get upset when we don't let them have it."

Elizabeth laughed again, thinking; _How can I be laughing after what we've been through today? How are you making me so happy?_

She had to ask him. "What happened, Nathan? Bear is so sure-footed. Did an animal spook him?"

Elizabeth knew that Nathan would normally be embarrassed to say this, but not tonight. "I wasn't looking where I was going. I was looking at you."

"At me?" Elizabeth said.

"I was remembering our race. Actually, I was on this road because I wanted to remember our day." Nathan took her hand in his. "It was a good day, Elizabeth."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "Yes, it was."

Suddenly Nathan said, "I want to take you home."

Elizabeth frowned and said, "You're going to need to be more specific than that, Nathan. I could take that a number of ways."

"Home. My home. In Airdrie. Our ranch. To meet my mother. And my horse."

"You have a horse other than Bear?"

Nathan frowned. "Out of that entire sentence, you chose to comment on my horse? Yes, I have a Mountie horse and a home horse."

"Oh, I heard the whole sentence," Elizabeth said. "You said you want me to meet your mother and see where you grew up." She smiled. "I would love to, Nathan."

"Good," he said. "We'll make plans."

Elizabeth felt him drifting off, but she had always meant to ask this, and kept forgetting. "Nathan. Why is he called Bear?"

"Because he saved me from one once. And we both lived to tell the tale."

And just like that, Nathan was finished talking. Finally, after only three hours' sleep the night before and what he had endured for most of the day and into the night, Nathan drifted off to sleep.

Carson had told her that if Nathan wanted to sleep, to let him. He needed to mend, and sleep was the best thing for him.

As the wagon rocked over the dirt road, Elizabeth worried about the bump on Nathan's head. She reached around and cupped her palm to keep him from hitting the side of the wagon as it rocked.

Then she just scooted over and bunched up a blanket for a pillow and moved his head onto her lap. Nathan's even breathing let her know that he was sound asleep.

She threaded her fingers through his hair absentmindedly and looked up at the stars.

And Elizabeth knew she was going to be alright. That last story, about Bear and the bear might have finally pushed Elizabeth over the edge.

She couldn't keep these men from doing dangerous things. And what was truly a revelation was that if she wanted to be with a man who didn't do interesting and dangerous things, she would already be with Hickam, or someone like him.

Hickam was a very good man who stayed close to home and never put himself in danger. But she wasn't with Hickam.

She loved the red serge, and the courage and bravery of the Mounties. Unlike her parents, Elizabeth did believe that Mountie was a noble profession.

And the second revelation was that she took plenty of chances too. How many times had she needed to be rescued? If you care about helping people, you sometimes take chances, and sometimes those chances are dangerous.

She looked down at Nathan's peaceful face, barely visible to her now in the dark.

_I'm going to stop being afraid. You are my choice, Nathan. And you being in a sometimes dangerous profession comes along with that choice._

She was so grateful that he was warm and safe with her. Elizabeth ran her knuckles softly over Nathan's cheek.

_I'm yours,_ she thought. _No matter what._

* * *

It was nearly ten o'clock when the wagon pulled into Hope Valley, but the lights were on in Abigail's. At the sound of the wagon, Jesse, Clara, Bill, Fiona, and a handful of others came out and greeted them. Lucas and some others stood at the door to the saloon as he raised his hand in greeting. The Infirmary was blazing with light and Carson and Faith stood at the door.

_I love Hope Valley_, Elizabeth thought, her heart full. _How lucky I am to have landed here_.

Elizabeth didn't see Rosemary, but she knew that she was back at her row house with Jack and Allie sound asleep.

Elizabeth didn't even attempt to change her position as the men approached the wagon to carry Nathan into the Infirmary. He was still asleep with his head in her lap and her arm protectively around his shoulder. She needn't have worried about any judgement. Everyone understood.

She stayed with Nathan until he was deeply under another dose of morphine in preparation for the re-setting, suturing and casting. Then she walked up to the row houses.

"Sound asleep," Rosemary whispered to her from her perch on the sofa. She was holding Jack, and Allie was in the small rollaway bed next to her.

"Allie finally gave up about a half hour ago," she said. "She was so worried about Nathan."

The exhaustion was finally hitting Elizabeth. "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. It could have been very bad, Rosemary."

"I know. Jesse and Clara came up to tell me what happened." She squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "Oh, I'm so glad it turned out this way. And Lee is back, obviously? He's fine?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said. "He drove the wagon." She felt tears coming to her eyes. "I'm so grateful for all of you. What a wonderful place Hope Valley is, Rosemary."

"We all love you and Nathan, Elizabeth." Still holding Jack, she hugged her gently.

"It's mutual," Elizabeth whispered. She indicated a quilt over the back of the sofa. "You can put Jack down on the floor right here if you want. You don't have to keep holding him. He's sound asleep."

Rosemary sighed. "This is heaven, Elizabeth. Holding him. I could hold him all night."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "I'm going back, Rosemary. I want to make sure Nathan is okay."

"Of course you are," Rosemary said, kissing her on the cheek. "You go care for your Mountie, Elizabeth."

"Thank you." Elizabeth kissed Jack tenderly on the head and hugged Rosemary again. Then she slipped out silently and made her way through the starry night back to the Infirmary.


	19. Chapter 19

The ordeal seemed to be over.

Nathan was safe, and Elizabeth had never been more glad that Hope Valley had grown enough to have a full-time infirmary with not only a doctor, but also a nurse. She remembered the days when they'd had to depend on visiting doctors who traveled the distances between towns to tend to the sick and injured.

She was so grateful as she listened to Carson assess Nathan's situation.

Once Carson got a better look at Nathan's leg in the bright lights of the Infirmary, he'd had to alter his plans.

"It's been too long since the break happened," he explained to Elizabeth and Bill, with Faith standing by. "There's a lot of swelling. If I put the cast on now, once the swelling goes down the cast will be loose and it won't keep the bone immobilized."

"How long do you need to wait?" Elizabeth asked.

"Three to five days, we'll just have to see," Carson said.

"Can he go home?"

"He'll need to stay here." Carson said. "Remember, he has a broken bone in there with only a splint to protect it. He needs to stay still, and here Faith and I can do everything for him."

Bill nodded. "You don't have to do it all. The town will help, Carson. I'll put a bug in a few ears. I've been talking to folks, and people like Nathan a lot. They feel like they don't say thank you enough."

Elizabeth smiled. She was certain Nathan didn't know that.

Bill said, "And I'll call Headquarters first thing in the morning and see how quickly they can get us a temporary Constable. Three months?"

"Yes, at least," said Carson.

"Can I see him?" Elizabeth asked.

Faith nodded. "He should be waking up soon. He'll want to see you when he does, Elizabeth." Faith led her to a curtained area. "You can go on in. Stay as long as you like," Faith said.

"Thank you, Faith, for everything," Elizabeth said, hugging her.

There was a chair next to the bed, and Elizabeth sat down. She reached out to hold Nathan's hand. It was perfectly warm, and she rested her face against it. He was still asleep.

Elizabeth could see that the color was back in his face. He looked so much better than he had when she first found him.

Elizabeth took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation Carson was about to have with Nathan. She didn't think Nathan had any idea it was coming. Three months was a long time.

She already had a thought for part of the time he had to heal, but it depended on Nathan remembering that he'd asked her in the wagon to meet his mother and to see his family's ranch.

Elizabeth and Allie had their Easter break coming up in the first week of April, and there would be no school.

Elizabeth thought it might be nice to spend Easter in Airdrie. She loved spending holidays in Hope Valley, but she'd had many of them, and Nathan's mother must miss her son. Plus, Jack would love the horses...

"You're frowning," she heard beside her. She looked up to see Nathan with his blue eyes fixed on her.

She stood up quickly and said, "You're awake. How do you feel?"

Nathan nodded. He was still speaking very slowly but his eyes were clear. "A lot better than I did. And this bed," he touched the clean white sheets, "Is a whole lot better than a horse blanket. Now ask me about my pain level."

"From the sound of you, I would guess it's fairly low," Elizabeth said, softly.

Carson came through the curtain, smiling. "I'm interested in hearing that number."

"It's about a two. Much better than an eleven," Nathan said.

"It should be smooth sailing from here on out with the pain, Nathan. The bone is back together, and it fit very nicely."

Nathan looked down at the splint on his elevated leg, frowning. "But no cast?"

Elizabeth sat back down, still holding Nathan's hand. Carson explained again everything he'd said earlier. Elizabeth was watching Nathan's face.

"Three _months?"_ Nathan said. "I can't lie in bed for three months."

"You'll be on crutches in a few days, Nathan. You can move around, you just can't put any weight on your leg."

Nathan laid back and took a deep breath. Elizabeth could see he was exhausted, but he spoke much more calmly. "Carson, first of all, thank you for everything you've done. I hope you know how grateful I am. I just don't know how I'm supposed to do my job on crutches for three months."

Carson said quietly, "You're not."

Nathan frowned up at Carson and then he looked at Elizabeth. She could see it sinking in now. Nathan took a deep breath and exhaled.

Nodding slowly, Nathan said, "So, is Bill taking over or are we getting a temporary posting?"

She squeezed his hand. He'd taken it so well, even as weary as he was. Her heart was full of love for him.

Carson said quietly, "Bill is too busy. He's calling Mountie Headquarters tomorrow morning to request a temporary."

Nathan looked sadly over at Elizabeth. Through his fatigue he gave her one of his crooked smiles that she loved so much.

"It seems I have some free time on my hands. You want to go to Airdrie and see the ranch?"

_He remembered._ Elizabeth laughed. "Oh, Nathan. I would love to."

She stayed with him until about midnight and then went home to Jack and Allie. Rosemary was nodding off on the sofa and holding Jack as he slept.

"Thank you so much, Rosemary," Elizabeth whispered. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Rosemary hugged her. "I won't ever let you find out, Elizabeth."

* * *

The next morning was a Monday, a school day. Elizabeth woke Allie a little early because she knew she would want to see her uncle before school.

While they were having breakfast, Elizabeth told Allie everything, without the extra color of what a close call it had been for Nathan.

Right after breakfast, Allie left to go to the Infirmary. Elizabeth said she would meet her there when Laura arrived to watch Jack.

Elizabeth hadn't anticipated the crowd.

The story of Nathan's survival adventure had circulated far and wide and everyone wanted to ask him about how he had managed to get the saddle down, how did he clean the wound, what did he use to splint his leg himself, and a hundred other questions.

Nathan must have had a good night's sleep, because he was sitting up in bed and wide awake. He actually seemed to be relishing telling the story. When Elizabeth walked in, everyone began to scatter, saying they needed to get to work, or the Mercantile, or the library, and they'd see him later.

Then suddenly, it was just Allie, Nathan and Elizabeth in the room.

Allie looked around, "What just happened?" she said, laughing.

Nathan shook his head. "I have no idea."

Elizabeth smiled at Allie. "What just happened is that this is a town that cares a great deal about your uncle and they wanted to say thank you to him for everything he does."

Nathan looked at her and smiled, saying softly, "Good morning, guardian angel."

Elizabeth sighed and blushed three shades of magenta. How he could do that so quickly to an intelligent, reasonable adult woman was beyond her. She decided she would figure it out later, because right now she had to get to school.

"Good morning," she said, trying to regain her composure. She walked around to the side of the bed, leaned down, and kissed him on his cheek. "You've made a miraculous recovery. You're just full of beans this morning."

Nathan spread his arms. "Glad to be alive," he said, and then groaned. "Except every muscle in my body hurts. I'm going to have a talk with Bear one of these days."

Elizabeth looked at him sympathetically. "Can Carson give you something?"

Nathan shook his head, "No more drugs for me. Speaking of which, did I say anything I shouldn't have last night? If I did, I apologize."

Elizabeth looked at Allie who was smiling ear to ear. "He was a perfect gentleman." She looked at Nathan and then back at Allie and whispered, "He told me his life story and I wrote it all down in my journal."

Allie laughed.

"That should be dull reading," Nathan said, winking at Allie and taking Elizabeth's hand.

"Speaking of reading..." Elizabeth said. "We have to get to school."

Nathan frowned. "Can't you stay here?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow, "I'm the teacher. I think they'd miss me."

Nathan said, "Turn around please, Allie. I'm going to kiss your teacher goodbye."

Allie made a face and dutifully turned. "Yuck," she said, which was not easy to say with such a huge smile on her face.

Nathan put his hand on Elizabeth's cheek. "I believe the score is one to one on the whole 'saving my life' thing. Could we just keep it there for a while?"

Elizabeth sighed, "Absolutely. I need to rest up before I do that again."

Nathan drew her face down to his. "Have a good day, teacher."

Elizabeth said, "Stay out of trouble, please." She kissed him quickly, aware of Allie tapping her toe dramatically on the other side of Nathan's bed. "Your turn, Allie."

Still grinning, Allie turned and hugged her Uncle Nathan and then followed Elizabeth to the curtain.

"We'll see you after school," Elizabeth said brightly.

"Will you bring Jack?" Nathan asked. "I want to give him his present." He looked at Allie, and said, "Yes, I have one for you, too."

Elizabeth nodded, remembering the little wooden Mountie. "We'll pick him up before we come," she said.

After school, when Elizabeth, Jack and Allie arrived at the Infirmary, Lee was there. On the table between them was a checkerboard. Nathan was just making a move.

Elizabeth smiled and said, "So, who's winning?"

Lee grumbled, "Nathan is cleaning my clock."

Nathan narrowed his eyes, "Are you just being nice because I'm injured?"

Lee shook his head. "No, unfortunately, I'm just this bad."

Lee picked up the pieces and the board and gave Nathan a light tap on the arm. "That was fun, Nathan. But I want a rematch."

"You got it," Nathan said as Lee nodded goodbye to Elizabeth and Allie and went out through the curtain.

Elizabeth said, "That was sweet of Lee."

"Yes," Nathan said, raising an eyebrow. "And it was sweet of Molly Sullivan to bring me a cobbler, and of Ned Yost to offer to teach me Italian - did _you_ know he spoke Italian? – and of Fiona to bring her jacks and challenge me to a match, and of Lucas to play gin rummy with me, and of Clara and Jesse to ask my opinion on food for their wedding, and of Bill to bring the lunch special and tell me Mountie stories. All of them perfectly timed so one left when the other arrived." Laughing, he said, "Is there a sign-up sheet at Abigail's?"

Elizabeth smiled. "They care about you." Then she said, "And there _might_ be a sign-up sheet. I'll have to go look."

Nathan turned serious, shaking his head, a little overcome. "Honestly, Elizabeth. I never knew towns like this existed. People are so..." he searched for the right word, "...good."

Elizabeth simply nodded. "Yes. They are."

Jack had waited long enough. He was reaching his arms toward Nathan and he wanted down. Elizabeth handed him over and Nathan immediately made a face at him. Jack giggled and said, "Again!" Or his version of it, which just came out _'gain_.

Nathan knew that Jack would play that game until the cows came home, so he reached behind his pillow and pulled out the little Mountie in the red felt tunic with the tiny leather boots.

Jack went absolutely silent and still, and reached his hand out. Nathan put the wooden figure into his hand and said, "Mountie."

Jack looked at it for a moment. And although Nathan obviously wasn't wearing his uniform in the Infirmary, Jack looked at the little Mountie and then pointed right to Nathan. The look on Nathan's face when Jack did that was one Elizabeth wished she could capture forever.

The same couple who fashioned the Mounties also made other figures. Nathan had found one depicting a young girl in a peach-colored jumper just like Allie's, and an exquisite one of a woman with curly brown hair in a meticulously sewn blouse and skirt.

Elizabeth said, "Nathan, these are extraordinary! This will go on my desk at school so I can look at it all day long."

Allie hugged him. "Thanks, Uncle Nathan. Now all we need is one of Jack and we'll have all of us."

Elizabeth smiled over at Nathan, her eyes soft.

"_Helloooo?"_ Rosemary's voice came from the other side of the curtain and she peeked in. "I thought you might like some oatmeal cookies, fresh out of the oven. Lee can't eat them because he's allergic to raisins, so I have lots... Oh! Elizabeth! Allie!" She started to back out, "I'll just leave these here." She put the cookie tin on the table. "See you later!"

Nathan shook his head, smiling. Making another face at Jack, he said, "Well, I'm not going to starve, am I?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Not in Hope Valley."

He turned to Allie and said, "Okay, same as when we're home. Tell me one thing you learned in school today. Something surprising."

She thought for a moment and then her eyes went wide. "Oh! You can only leave a tourniquet on for two hours. Otherwise it cuts off the flow of blood for too long."

Nathan blinked a couple of times and tilted his head at Elizabeth. "Really?"

Elizabeth tried not to laugh. "You never know when you're going to need information like that. It could come in handy."

"Knock-knock!" Fiona said from outside the curtain. She looked in and said, "Oh, good! This is perfect!" Opening the curtain, she said proudly, "Look what I got for Founder's Day this year." She held up a small rectangular black box and turned a lever so it opened up to reveal a camera lens.

"It's one of the new Brownies. It cost the Town Council the exorbitant amount of $2.75, and now I get to go all around town taking pictures! We're doing a side-by-side exhibit of old photos and what the town looks like now, and I'm taking lots of pictures of the people who live here." She beamed at the four of them. "I'm having the best time!"

Before any of them could say a word, Fiona said, "Okay, Elizabeth, you lean down on Nathan's left side, and Allie, you on the right. Nathan, can you turn Jack around so he's facing me? Just have him sit on your lap." She looked in the viewfinder and then lowered the camera. "That little Mountie is adorable! Yes, Jack, hold that up!"

"Okay, smile!"

* * *

They were finally left alone at dinnertime. Bill brought the chicken special to Nathan and then had Clara bring plates for Elizabeth and Allie. The four of them ate together and sat talking over the day while Jack played with his Mountie and the cloth horses that Elizabeth had brought to keep him occupied.

Nathan talked again about the ranch in Airdrie and Elizabeth made the suggestion about spending Easter there.

"My mother would be thrilled, and it's very pretty this time of year." He looked at Elizabeth. "You wouldn't mind missing Easter in Hope Valley?"

Elizabeth thought for a moment and then said, "Do you remember what I said at Christmastime? About traditions old and new?" She looked over at Allie who was listening intently. "I think it's time for us to make some new traditions. But will your mother be good with us descending on her like that? All four of us?"

Nathan laughed. "You have no idea how happy it will make her. You know I write to her every week. She wants to meet you and Jack so much that she's ready to get on the train and come down here. And she hates the train." He smoothed Allie's hair and put his arm around her. "And _you,_ she would love to see. She misses you."

"Allie, Jack and I can stay the week and maybe you'd like to stay on a little longer since you'll have the time?"

"I'll think about it," Nathan said. "I don't know how much help I can be to her on crutches, but she always can use help. We can decide that later."

"Then it's settled," Elizabeth said brightly. "Easter in Airdrie."

Nathan laughed. "That's if I survive the good wishes of the people of Hope Valley. I have, what?... five days of this?" He shook his head. "Can't wait to see who shows up tomorrow. Henry Gowen and his harmonica?"

Elizabeth laughed and was so grateful for the joy she saw in his eyes. He was back. Nathan was definitely back.


	20. Chapter 20

"Look at the cows, Jack! Do you see them?" Elizabeth was pointing out the train window as they moved past the Alberta farmlands on the way to Airdrie. It was Jack's first train trip and he had been mesmerized from the moment they'd arrived at the station.

Nathan leaned over toward the window and said softly in Jack's ear, "What does a cow say, Jack?" Jack knew, but he looked Nathan right in the eye, waiting.

_"Moooooooo,"_ Nathan said, doing a very heartfelt imitation, and Jack dissolved into giggles.

Elizabeth shook her head, laughing. "You two." She leaned closer to Nathan and said, "I'm not sure whether Jack is advanced, or you have the personality of a two-year-old."

Nathan kissed her on the cheek. "Both are true," he said.

Jack crawled off of Elizabeth's lap and went over to Allie. Allie bent down and put her head by Jack's and then she lifted him up on the bench. Jack put his face close to the window, waiting.

Allie breathed and the window fogged up next to Jack. She drew what looked like a stick figure cow, and it disappeared quickly. Jack said, "_'gain!"_

Elizabeth and Nathan watched the children silently. Without thinking, they reached to each other's hand on the seat between them and clasped them. Nathan drew her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles gently. He left it there, joined to him, while he watched Allie whisper to Jack.

"What do you think they talk about?" Elizabeth said quietly. "It's like they have their own language."

"I don't know," Nathan said, shaking his head slowly. "Allie is so different, Elizabeth. It's hard to separate how much is just that she's growing up, and how much is the town and the school and the people... and especially you and Jack." He smiled and looked down. "I'm not even sure _I'm_ the same as I've been all these years..."

Elizabeth said, "Well, in math we say that's too many variables to draw a clear conclusion." She smiled at him. "And maybe it's really simple. Maybe we're all a little different because we found each other and we're happy."

Nathan reached up and nudged one of her wayward curls off of her forehead and tucked it in. "Until I met you I think I might have been afraid to be happy."

"Why?" Elizabeth asked.

Nathan exhaled and gazed at the floor. "I guess the easy answer is that what makes you happy can be taken away, and then what are you left with?" He looked up at her.

Elizabeth sighed. "I would say you have a space to fill and you never know what's going to fill it." She smiled at him tenderly, and leaned back again, looking out the window as they talked.

Nathan smiled. "I think my mistake was wanting to find the right-sized pieces to fill in those spaces. Especially the ones left by my father and Sarah. Nothing ever fit just right after I lost both of them. But now I realize you can fill in those spaces little by little. When Archie came back I was so afraid to hope again." He tightened his grip on Elizabeth. "You were amazing. You kept challenging me to see something more. And in the end, I did." He kissed her cheek and held there, feeling the warmth of her skin against his.

Elizabeth smiled too. "I like Archie, Nathan. You've got the best of him. I hope we see him again soon, and I know Allie would like it."

Nathan spoke softly, still looking out the window. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I hope we see him soon too."

Nathan sat in silence for a moment. "I remember a few years back hearing a sermon on the sins of the father. I carried that around for a while, but now I've let it go." He stroked Elizabeth's hair gently. "I'm sure not perfect, and neither is my father, but I know that if we're worth the type of love I feel from Hope Valley, if we're worth your love and Allie's, then we're not _too_ flawed."

Elizabeth brought his hand up to her lips, smiling. "No, she said, "Not _too_ flawed."

Nathan continued, "And the more people I meet, the more I know that everyone is walking around with something. Some story that will break your heart. And I think if we tell each other our stories, we can get past them."

Nathan laughed softly into Elizabeth's hair. "And _that's_ more words than I ever expect to say in one go." He shook his head. "You talk to me and I just open up. I don't know whether to be grateful or scared."

"Grateful," she said. "Because I agree with you - when we tell our stories, we can move past them." She turned and threaded her arm through his. "You've helped me so much with my sadness because you've let me tell you about Jack. I didn't have to do it by myself, or in secret, or to pretend it wasn't there. I'm so grateful to you for that."

Elizabeth took a deep breath and continued. "Because... the fact is, Jack died. I can't do anything about that. And the mistakes your father made, he made. We can't change it. All we can do is figure out how to live with it."

Nathan wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. His mouth was close to her ear and he whispered, "Wise _and_ beautiful. I must have done something right."

They watched the fields out the window for a time, with Elizabeth leaning back against Nathan's chest, and his arms securely around her. They moved gently with the train and listened to the sounds of the tracks.

Elizabeth said, "This is such beautiful country. I grew up with tall buildings and noisy streets. Now I know I was always craving open fields and trees. It's hard to breathe in the city."

Nathan nodded. "I spent nearly a year in Calgary right before I joined the Mounties. I would never have lasted there."

Allie and Jack were still whispering and playing together, and Allie was using Jack's blocks to build her version of the ranch on the train bench, enclosing the cloth horses in a corral.

From the moment Nathan had given the carved wooden Mountie to Jack, it had been in Jack's little fist. He wouldn't let anyone have it, though he showed it proudly to anyone in town who wanted to see it.

"Nathan. Look," Elizabeth whispered, sitting absolutely still.

Nathan turned and followed her eyes to Jack and Allie.

Right now, as the train began to pull into the Airdrie Station, Jack was handing his Mountie to Allie. She looked sideways over at Nathan and Elizabeth with her eyes wide, because she knew how much that little Mountie meant to Jack.

"Thank you, Jack!" she said, and she held the Mountie up to her face and gave him a hug.

Jack giggled and then put his hands out seriously as if to say _that's enough time._

Allie had the Mountie walk over and jump into Jack's hands.

Jack smiled at her and then he put the Mountie in the corral with the horses.

Nathan whispered to Elizabeth, "A lot of trust going on in this train car." Elizabeth leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"And it's only our first day," she said softly.

* * *

It turned out that when Nathan had written his mother to say they were coming, he had neglected to say he was in a cast and on crutches.

"Better to get it over with all at once," Nathan said.

Rebecca Grant was a warm, tall, affectionate woman with a big voice and a bigger smile. Her steel gray hair was pulled back into a bun and Elizabeth first saw her through the train window. She was fearlessly standing close to the arriving train, wearing a blue gingham cotton blouse and a navy skirt with a white apron, her hands firmly on her hips. And as Rebecca scanned the windows intently, Elizabeth could see Nathan had his mother's eyes; blue, focused and intelligent.

"There she is," Nathan said, waving as they pulled in slowly to the station. "And next to her is our head ranch hand, Charlie. He's been with us for so many years I don't remember a time he wasn't there. He's a good man."

Rebecca and Charlie stood next to a wagon with two horses pulling and one tied on to the back. Elizabeth watched Nathan's eyes go a little soft, and he said, "Aw, Sunset..."

Elizabeth said, "Is Sunset your 'home horse'?"

Nathan looked a little confused, and Elizabeth laughed.

"While you were on morphine, you said that you have a Mountie horse and a home horse."

Nathan narrowed his eyes at her. _"Did_ you write down everything I said?"

Elizabeth just smiled sweetly.

"Yes. Sunset's mine. And my mother obviously thought I'd want to ride her home. Boy, is she going to be disappointed."

"Your mother or Sunset?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes twinkling.

"Mostly my mother," Nathan said. "But Allie has always loved Sunset. She can ride her."

Those last words were said while they pulled together their things, and Allie packed up Jack's toys.

Allie's eyes brightened, "I can? Really?"

"Yes," Nathan said, "But you ride right next to the wagon, slowly." He smiled at her, "Grandma will be impressed."

The next minutes were a blur of greetings and activity, and Elizabeth felt like she was caught up in a whirlwind. Allie got off the train first and ran to her grandmother for a hug. "You're so tall!" Rebecca said, squeezing her tightly. "You must have shot up six inches since I saw you last."

Elizabeth stepped down next, holding Jack. She smiled and put her hand out, saying, "Mrs. Grant, I'm Elizabeth Thornton. It's so good to meet..." and Rebecca simply took her hand and used it to propel her into a hug with Jack caught in the middle. Rebecca was a good two inches taller than Elizabeth, so she and Jack ended up with their faces somewhere in the vicinity of Rebecca's shoulders.

While Elizabeth was being squeezed by her two very strong arms, Rebecca said, "You're the first girl Nathan has brought home since he was sixteen. You get a hug, Elizabeth."

Rebecca pulled away and looked at Jack, and Elizabeth was glad that Jack was more interested than alarmed by Rebecca's big personality.

"And this is Jack," Rebecca said, very softly and bending down to his eye level. "You are a fine little man, and I look forward to getting to know you."

Once Nathan stepped into view, all the activity changed course. Charlie went to get the bags, and Rebecca went to her son. Her arms outstretched, she hugged him tightly, kissed him loudly on the cheek and said, "Dear God, what happened, Nathan?"

Since it's difficult to hug someone like his mother while on crutches, Nathan simply concentrated on staying upright.

"A little horse accident, Mom. Broken leg. I'm fine."

"Well, fine isn't how I would describe you, but we'll get that story later," Rebecca huffed. "And I guess you're not riding Sunset home, are you?"

Nathan said, "No, Allie's going to."

Her eyes wide, Rebecca said, "Good for you, Alliebeck! You're riding!"

Nathan answered Elizabeth's unspoken question in a whisper, "Alice Rebecca, Alliebeck." He grinned at Elizabeth. "You can probably already tell that she might have preferred to have her name first."

Elizabeth laughed and whispered back, "She's wonderful, Nathan. I like her so much already."

"We'll talk in a week," he said, winking at her. "Now come meet Sunset. She'll be quieter than my mother."

While Nathan leaned on his crutches and shortened up the stirrups for Allie, Elizabeth let Jack stroke Sunset's forehead. She lived up to her name, with gradations of brown, tan and yellow mixing in her coat horizontally. "She's beautiful, Nathan."

Nathan stroked the horse's neck affectionately, "She's my girl. Brought her into the world when I was nineteen, and she's been mine ever since."

Elizabeth smiled, running her fingers down Sunset's long cheek, "You were there when she was born?"

"I delivered her," Nathan said. Elizabeth saw him stiffen a little and he held the strap to the stirrup in the air for a moment, losing focus.

Elizabeth knew why and she put her hand on his arm. _Sarah._

"It's okay, Nathan. Take a minute."

He breathed deeply and looked at Elizabeth. Then he smiled sadly and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you. It means so much that you know. And that you understand."

He pulled on the strap, brought the stirrup down off the saddle, and then hobbled around on his crutches to do the other side.

The ride to the ranch was beautiful. The town of Airdrie was small, only a post office, church, school and general store that Elizabeth could see. The train station was at the hub of the town.

Nathan told Elizabeth that Airdrie was named for the town in Scotland, and it means "The King's Height." It was called that because its elevation actually made it one of the highest towns in Canada. "Not one of the highest _places_ in Canada, mind you," said Nathan, "There are others at higher elevations, but they're not officially _towns."_

Rebecca said, grinning, "Oh, let us have our little measure of fame, Nathan. It makes us feel special."

Looking all the way around as they rode the wagon out of town, Elizabeth sighed and said, "It looks pretty special to me, Mrs. Grant."

Rebecca nodded, "I like this girl, Nathan." She turned to Elizabeth, "And if I call you Elizabeth, you call me Rebecca. So that's that. And did Nathan tell you that the name Elizabeth is..."

Nathan interrupted her, "Mom, let's break it all to her gently, can we? We don't have to tell Elizabeth the entire family history on the ride home."

"Suit yourself," Rebecca said to Nathan. She turned to Elizabeth and winked as if to say, _We'll talk._

It was a forty-minute wagon ride from the town to the ranch and Elizabeth leaned back and just took in the spectacular beauty of the country. There were about a dozen flat farms and ranches in the foreground and majestic snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Elizabeth sat facing front on the side of the wagon where Allie was riding. Sunset was a sweet horse, gentle and content, and Allie looked so proud and comfortable on her. Allie had Nathan's bearing in the saddle; confident and tall.

On the front bench holding the reins, Charlie sat next to Rebecca. Elizabeth watched their backs as they talked, heads together, companionable from many years' acquaintance.

Elizabeth smiled. Nathan had said that by the time Sarah died, his father was already in prison. So, Rebecca had been alone for at least a decade.

As she watched, Charlie laughed and turned to Rebecca, who was gesturing expansively about something. He reached a finger up and took a strand of hair out of her eyes. Elizabeth looked at Nathan to see if he'd noticed, but he was playing with Jack. _Good_, Elizabeth thought, looking back at them. _People aren't meant to be alone._

After a time, Elizabeth saw Rebecca turn and face the back. She looked as if she wanted to ask Nathan a question, but she stopped herself. Nathan had stretched out in the middle of the wagon with his long legs in front of him. Jack was sitting alongside him and he was currently playing the drums on Nathan's cast.

"Jack," Elizabeth said, "Be gentle, please."

Nathan shook his head, and said, "It's okay. It doesn't hurt. I don't feel a thing." Just to prove his point, Nathan reached down and knocked on the cast himself, making Jack laugh.

Afraid they may have left it on the train, Nathan said, "Jack, where's your Mountie?"

Immediately Jack stood up and dug into his pocket. He pulled it out proudly, smiling.

Nathan laughed. "Good man!"

As Nathan talked to Jack and played with him in the center of the wagon, Rebecca was watching. All of her larger-than-life boisterousness was gone, and Elizabeth could see that her eyes were soft in the same way Nathan's would get. And there was the smile, the crooked one that Elizabeth loved so much.

Rebecca watched her son for a long time. Finally, she glanced over at Elizabeth. She looked back at Nathan, who now had Jack in his lap and was explaining all the parts of his Mountie's uniform, while Jack sat raptly listening.

Slowly a grin took over Rebecca's face, as she mouthed the words soundlessly to Elizabeth_._

_Bless you._


	21. Chapter 21

Charlie turned the horses and the travelers were suddenly in a corridor of trees, mostly hemlocks and laurel leaf willows, shading and dappling sunlight on the occupants of the wagon and on Allie riding along beside them.

Jack even looked up, squinting against the sunlight, mesmerized by the patterns it made.

Coming out of the tree-lined drive, they were greeted with the sight of the house, long and low, with clean whitewashed clapboard siding and a covered wrap-around porch.

Elizabeth was reminded of what Nathan had said about the porch swing, and she was delighted to see that there was a hammock just to the right of it. She could already imagine sitting on the swing with Nathan, while Allie and Jack lazed in the hammock beside them.

"Oh, Nathan," she said softly, taking his hand. "It's so lovely."

Behind the house, Elizabeth could see the horse barn, the paddocks, pens with pigs and goats, and a chicken coop. There were about a dozen cows grazing beyond the barn, and there was a large fenced-in vegetable garden to the right. To the left and behind the house was a natural hill with a huge spreading oak at the top. Elizabeth could see a rectangular white fence marking off an area just under the tree. She sighed. _The family graveyard._

She gazed up at it for a moment and then turned to see that Nathan was doing the same. The look on his face was the one she remembered so clearly from the early days of his posting in Hope Valley. Then, she had thought it inscrutable; a kind of mysteriously abstracted look. Now she saw it for exactly what it was - Nathan missing the other half of himself.

She reached her hand up and touched his face. He turned to her and she smiled warmly. He held her hand there and kissed the palm, and then he smiled sadly and said, "It's okay."

Rebecca saw it all, as she seemed to see everything. She nodded at Elizabeth and then she said brightly, "Home sweet home. It's not fancy, but it's good and tight in the rain and the snow, and it stays cool in the summer. And on a spring day like today? Glorious! Welcome, Elizabeth. We're glad to have you."

"And I'm so glad to be here," Elizabeth said, taking Rebecca's outstretched hand.

Charlie directed two young ranch hands to carry bags and help Nathan navigate the front porch stairs with his crutches.

The big house had rooms for everyone, and in Elizabeth's room, Charlie had even brought in Nathan's old crib from the storage area in the barn. It had been cleaned and fitted with crisp white linens for Jack to sleep in while he was here.

Allie's room was next to hers, and Nathan was in his old room at the end of the long hall.

Leading Elizabeth into her room, Rebecca said, "Eight hours on a train and an hour in an open wagon. You'll want to freshen up. There's soap and water and clean towels here, Elizabeth. Just make yourself at home. Supper is at six, and don't even think about helping. Maybe I'll let you and Nathan do the dishes after..." And Rebecca was off, closing the door on her way out.

Elizabeth looked at Jack in her arms and laughed softly. She wondered, for the millionth time, what went on in his little head. A completely new place, new people and the splendid tornado that was Rebecca Grant - and her Jack just gazed around him with bright and wise eyes.

She stood over at the crib and tried to imagine Nathan at Jack's age, but was unable to. Maybe Rebecca had pictures...

And there, on the wall, was a framed photo that took her breath away. Clearly Nathan, younger, perhaps twenty. His arm was easily around the shoulders of a pretty girl, the same age. Elizabeth moved closer in amazement.

The bone structure, the dark curly hair, the blue eyes and strong brows. Not identical, but as near as could be imagined. Parts of the photo were blurry, because Sarah couldn't stay still. She was laughing and Nathan was trying not to laugh beside her. It was a picture filled with joy and possibilities.

There were lines missing on Nathan's face. The deep ones around his mouth hadn't been created yet, and he looked like he could conquer the world if he wanted to.

Before she knew it was happening, Elizabeth felt a tear course down her cheek. She looked at Jack and he was looking back at her solemnly.

She pointed to Nathan in the picture and said, "Who's that, Jack?"

Jack reached his hand up and showed her the Mountie, and said his version of _Nathan._ It came out sort of like _in'tan._

"That's right," she said softly. She looked at Jack and said, "Nathan."

By the time she had washed and changed and done the same with Jack, she felt ready to explore. Jack had slept on the train and was wide awake.

She opened the door and Nathan was standing there, balanced precariously on his crutches, just about to knock.

"Hi!" Elizabeth said in surprise.

"Hello," he said, crooked smile firmly in place.

"What?" she said, tilting her head.

"You're here. In the house I grew up in. My mother adores you already. And I'm just... taking it all in." He laughed softly. "I'm sure you're aware of all that, but you'll always need to remember that I don't move as quickly as most people."

Elizabeth laughed too. "Your mother moves fast enough for all of us," she said, whispering. "And I absolutely adore her, too."

"I'd like to take you somewhere," Nathan said. "We can either take Jack, or Allie said she'd love to take him out to the swing."

"The porch swing?" Elizabeth said.

"Actually, we have a tree swing over by the goat pen, and there are some newborns. And we won't be far," Nathan said.

She got up on her toes and kissed his cheek, lingering there for a moment. "I think I know where we're going, and I'd very much like to do that."

"Good," he said, looking down. "Normally we would walk up, but..." he pointed to his leg. "We'll take the wagon and go around the back side."

Allie was waiting for them outside and Jack went right to her. Nathan and Elizabeth stood for a moment watching them walk away, hand in hand, until Jack got tired and put his arms up and Allie carried him.

"When did she get so grown up?" Nathan said, putting his arm around Elizabeth.

"I know. I see it in my classroom every year. You should have seen Opal when she first came to school."

The view from the top of the hill was spectacular. Not only of the ranch but also the surrounding countryside. The sun was low in the sky and there was a light breeze blowing.

Nathan decided to forgo the crutches on the uneven grass, so he put his arm around Elizabeth and used her for balance. There were seven graves and room for more. Nathan pointed them out, one by one - Rebecca's parents, her two brothers and a sister, and then the most recent ones.

Elizabeth stopped and breathed deeply.

It wasn't the graves, one small, one large, that stopped her. It was that each had a wooden plaque on a post – a plaque that looked almost identical to the one Nathan made for the library.

_NATHAN CALEB BUTLER_

_Gone Too Soon, In Our Hearts Forever_

_SARAH ELIZABETH GRANT BUTLER_

_Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mother_

_Loved and Missed by All_

Exhaling, Elizabeth said, "Nathan, you made these."

He nodded, his eyes focused on the plaques.

"They're so beautiful," Elizabeth said.

Nathan was quiet, so she was quiet with him.

But of course, in her head, Elizabeth had noticed what she thought Rebecca was starting to say to her in the wagon. Nathan had an aunt named Elizabeth who died at birth, according to the dates.

And Sarah's middle name was Elizabeth.

Nathan stirred beside her and she looked up. He gazed a little sheepishly at her. "Why didn't I tell you? Probably because at the time I was trying to convince myself that signs don't exist."

* * *

Dinner was for six; Rebecca, Charlie, Nathan, Elizabeth, Allie and Jack. Rebecca seemed a natural cook; she'd made a hearty country beef stew, fluffy buttermilk biscuits, lots of fresh vegetables from the garden and an apple tart for dessert.

Elizabeth found herself drawn to watching Nathan and Rebecca because it was just another way to know him. As everyone joined in the kitchen, Rebecca was stirring the stew and Nathan stood on one leg next to her at the stove. He simply put his arm around her while they talked. Rebecca gave him a taste of the stew, he nodded, telling her how good it was; they were so easy with each other, and it was obvious how much respect and love was shared between them.

It made Elizabeth think of her own mother. She loved her, of course, but she couldn't in her wildest dreams imagine her mother in the kitchen, unless it was to direct the staff. There was a warmth about this room and about Rebecca that Elizabeth found she wanted in her life.

She looked down at Jack and tried to see him at Nathan's age now, and herself at Rebecca's. She could only hope for this kind of bond with her son.

At the table, as the food was passed around and the long day discussed, Rebecca finally got around to the cast on Nathan's leg.

"Mountie work or not?" Rebecca said in typically direct tones.

Nathan hesitated. "Well... not officially..."

Rebecca sighed. "Were you wearing your uniform?"

Nathan knew he'd been caught. "Yes."

"Okay, so Mountie work," Rebecca said flatly. "Who else was involved? And how dangerous were they?"

Elizabeth thought the Mounties could take a lesson from Rebecca in how to conduct a ruthless interrogation.

Nathan sighed, "No one else. I was alone."

That got Rebecca's attention. "Alone?" she said incredulously. "So, you... _tripped?"_

"Basically. Or more to the point, Bear tripped," Nathan said, calmly getting another helping of stew.

Rebecca was finally speechless, and Elizabeth didn't think that happened very often.

Nathan looked at Elizabeth as he grabbed another biscuit. "Actually, it was Elizabeth's fault."

"Mine?" Elizabeth said, looking up in surprise.

He kept his eyes on Elizabeth's as he spoke and she wondered if he knew how to make them more blue - because they were very, very blue.

"I wanted to get back to her. I missed her." Nathan held Elizabeth's eyes for a moment and then looked over at his mother, shrugging. "I wasn't paying attention."

Rebecca laughed, watching Elizabeth blush. "Well, that's a much better reason than Mountie work." Her questions sufficiently answered, Rebecca passed the vegetables to Allie. She pointed to them, indicating that Allie needed to take some. Allie made a face, but she dutifully got a large spoonful.

"And when can you ride?" Rebecca asked Nathan. "I was hoping to take you out to look at some fencing. Charlie says it will last through next winter, and I don't agree. We need you to break the tie."

Nathan glanced sideways at Elizabeth. "I could do that."

Elizabeth opened her mouth and then closed it. Unfortunately for Nathan, Rebecca saw it. "What's he not telling me, Elizabeth?"

Raising her eyebrow and looking at Nathan, Elizabeth said, "That the doctor told him not to ride for eight weeks and it's only been four."

Nathan smiled at her. "I'll only ride half as far."

Elizabeth tried not to laugh, but couldn't quite manage it.

"Look," Nathan said, rapping his knuckles on his cast. "This is hard as a rock. I think Sunset should be more worried about getting injured, which is why I'm going to pad this thing before I ride her."

He turned to Elizabeth. "I'm sorry. You can't keep me off a horse. It's just not natural for me."

Elizabeth frowned. "Only at a walk," she said.

"That's fair," Nathan said, trying to suppress a smile, knowing he'd won this round.

"And if it starts to hurt, you come home?" Elizabeth said, raising her eyebrows. Nathan knew she was serious because she was using her teacher voice.

"Agreed," Nathan said, and now he was truly smiling.

"Good," Elizabeth said, picking up her plate and Charlie's. "And if you can ride, you can dry dishes."

Rebecca watched this exchange closely. These two were going to be just fine together. She hadn't seen Nathan this content and peaceful in his own skin for over ten years. She would even go so far as to say he was happy.

And as the icing on the cake, for the first time in his thirty-four years, Rebecca knew that Nathan was in love. And the way he was with that little Jack? A revelation.

Dishes done, Nathan and Elizabeth wandered out to the porch to watch the sunset. Once they were out of the room, Jack started engaging with Rebecca and Charlie in addition to playing with Allie.

But story time was another thing entirely. If Nathan was anywhere near, no one else could read him his bedtime story. It didn't matter to Jack that they were in a different place and with new people.

Nathan brought one of his own childhood books from his room and read it in different voices, making Jack giggle. Finally, after a very big day, Jack gave up and started yawning. He slept soundly on Nathan's shoulder while everyone talked softly in front of the fire.

Elizabeth noticed that Rebecca's incisive blue eyes strayed often to Nathan as he affectionately stroked Jack's back, talking softly so he wouldn't wake him. Her smile was Nathan's, inscrutable, but so soft and clearly full of so much love.

Elizabeth's heart was full for this family that had known so much sorrow. Nathan, Rebecca and Allie were the survivors, bound not only in their love but also in the fact that they were still standing. And standing together.

After a long day of travel and fresh air, the group scattered to their beds. Nathan carried Jack into Elizabeth's room and put him gently in the crib. After rubbing his back a few times, he bent down and kissed him on the cheek, saying, "'Night, little man."

He turned to see Elizabeth behind him, her eyes soft, and he couldn't wait any longer. There was something about having her here that felt so right.

"I've been wanting to do this all day," he said. He took her in his arms and kissed her, and Elizabeth felt the familiar combination of gentleness and fire that was present in Nathan when he felt things deeply.

After a few moments, and with reluctance, he pulled away from her. They were both a little breathless.

Nathan laughed softly. "I... um... should... I should go," he said, pointing at the door.

_My sweet, stuttering, awkward Nathan is back_, Elizabeth thought. _I've missed him._

Elizabeth ran her thumb across his cheek, smiling. "Are you... blushing?" she asked.

"I don't blush," Nathan said. "Ever."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, "Of course. Must have been all that sun today." She led him toward the door, but on the way her eye caught the photo of him with Sarah. She lingered on it and he followed her eyes.

Elizabeth said, "I'm so glad to see this."

Nathan nodded and laughed softly. "That was a good day."

"It looks like it. And I feel as if I can see how you were together," Elizabeth said. "It makes me smile."

Nathan looked at the photo for a moment longer, and then said, _"This_ was a good day, Elizabeth. And I wasn't sure if I would say that again after Sarah died." He kissed her, quickly this time, and said, "Sleep well."

Just before he closed the door, he said, softly, "I love you. I'm very glad you're here."

As he started down the hall on his crutches, Elizabeth opened the door again and whispered, "Me, too."

She watched him all the way down the long hall, and just before he went into his room, she smiled and waved. He did the same, and he was thinking it too.

_Just like our row houses._ _Everything is different, but it's really the same. No matter where we are._


	22. Chapter 22

Elizabeth hadn't specifically seen a rooster the day before, but he was certainly making his presence known to her this morning.

Jack was up early and ready to face the day, but it wasn't easy for Elizabeth to get out of the warmest, softest feather bed she could remember.

She washed and dressed, and did the same with Jack. By the time she opened the door into the hallway, the distinct aromas of pancakes, eggs and sausage were drifting temptingly from the kitchen into the rest of the house.

There was a conversation already in progress, and Elizabeth sat at the kitchen table with Jack on her lap.

"I've told you, Mom, you have to stop naming them. If you name them, they become pets, and then you say you can't sell pets," Nathan said. He poured a glass of apple juice for Elizabeth and a small cup for Jack.

It appeared that Nathan had set aside the crutches, and Elizabeth feared it might be for the last time. Carson had put on what he called a walking cast, shaped like a shoe at the bottom, firm and strong. But walking on it wasn't supposed to happen for another two weeks.

Nathan was casually moving back and forth between the table and the stove, getting dishes from the sideboard and handing forks and knives to Allie to set the table.

Elizabeth frowned at him with her displeased teacher face, and pointed to his foot. Nathan smiled and shrugged and came over with the juice. He gave her a warm kiss on the cheek and said, softly, "Good morning, Elizabeth." Then he kissed Jack on the top of his head, saying, "How'd you sleep, huh?" He made a face at Jack, who, predictably, laughed. Then he went back to get napkins for the table.

Elizabeth sighed. _Well, I guess I have to pick my battles. I suppose I should be grateful he's lasted this long._

Rebecca tore off a small piece of a pancake and dipped it lightly in maple syrup. She walked it over and bent down to Jack saying, "Do you like pancakes?" When Jack opened his mouth, she popped it in and he chewed it and smiled. "Yum, yum!" Rebecca said, and drew her fingers tenderly down his cheek. She looked longingly at him and said to Elizabeth, "Can you believe how soft their skin is at this age? It's like heaven. You sleep okay?" Elizabeth nodded happily.

Then Rebecca just picked up where she left off with Nathan. "And how am I supposed to know who's who if I don't name them? Saying 'hey, you!' is not an effective way to call a goat, Nathan."

Nathan sighed loudly. "You _have_ noticed that they all keep having babies, right? And that the pens are getting full?"

Charlie walked in the kitchen door, wiping his hands on a rag. His gray hair was peeking out from under a Stetson, and his tanned face broke into an easy smile. He'd obviously heard most of the conversation as he washed his hands outside the kitchen window. He slapped Nathan lightly on the arm. "Good luck, son."

Rebecca frowned and raised the spatula in the air just for good measure. "Don't you two gang up on me." She turned to Elizabeth and Allie. "Girls, I need reinforcements."

Allie looked up at Nathan and said, "I like the babies."

Nathan looked at Allie and raised an eyebrow. Then he looked at Elizabeth, daring her to join in. Elizabeth said, holding back a smile, "Babies are nice."

Nathan laughed. "Great." He put his arm around his mother and hugged her. "Okay, we'll expand the pens. The more the merrier."

They all had a delicious, very loud, robust, laughter-filled breakfast. Elizabeth thought this was as far as she could get from the dressed-up, sedate and elegant breakfasts with her father reading the newspaper over soft-boiled eggs and toast points in Hamilton.

She tried not to compare, because Elizabeth had loved her life growing up. But she hadn't known this existed. And as she watched Allie, full of joy and looking forward to a day of sunshine, fresh air, riding, and caring for small animals - she was envious.

And Elizabeth knew that this is how she wanted Jack to grow up.

Rebecca decided to make soup for lunch, so while Allie and Nathan washed dishes, she took Elizabeth and Jack out to the vegetable garden. It was bursting with cabbage, carrots, late lettuce, fragrant onions and peppers, spinach, radishes, turnips, potatoes, cucumbers, and bright red tomatoes on the vine.

"I wish the snow peas were ready," Rebecca said, "When Sarah and Nathan were little, we used to come out here to pick them for dinner and they never made it to the table. They were so full of sugar that it was like eating candy."

Rebecca had given Jack a little basket and Elizabeth wouldn't be surprised if it was one that Nathan and Sarah had used as children. Rebecca didn't seem to waste much.

Elizabeth said something to that effect, and Rebecca laughed. "My mother had a saying. _Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."_

Elizabeth listened, smiling. She was grateful she'd brought her journal. She already had so much to write, and was planning to sit on the front porch when Jack napped today.

But for now, she was pointing out the ripe tomatoes for Jack to pull gently off the vine and put in his basket. At the same time, Elizabeth was being directed by Rebecca to pull onions and potatoes and to pick a full ripe cabbage.

Then there was washing, peeling, and chopping, and then getting the beef stock out of the icebox and putting it all together into the biggest pot Elizabeth had ever seen. Rebecca seemed to do all of it with no more effort than it took her to breathe.

The soup was simmering, Jack was playing happily with some of Nathan's childhood toys, Allie and Nathan were out feeding the animals, and Elizabeth and Rebecca sat down to a cup of tea to get off their feet for a while.

Rebecca looked at Elizabeth over the rim of her cup as she took a sip.

"You are the prettiest thing, Elizabeth," she said, "And add to that the fact that you don't have a silly, shallow, or mean bone in your body..."

Elizabeth had started blushing furiously at the first part of that statement, and was now beyond help. "Rebecca, stop!" she said, laughing.

Rebecca laughed too. "A simple thank you will do," she said. "Nathan is the same way. Can't take a compliment."

Elizabeth hid in her teacup. "We know that about each other. We're trying to learn to just say thank you. So," With some effort, Elizabeth looked up and met Rebecca's eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. It's only that I'm grateful to you."

Elizabeth said, "What for? Right now I'm so grateful to be here. I don't think I've helped you nearly enough."

Rebecca paused for another sip of tea. "I've gotten a letter a week from Nathan for as long as I can remember. It's rare that he misses, and when he does he has a good reason. Just about a year ago his letters took a turn. Not a sharp one, but a long, wide one."

Rebecca leaned back in her chair, thinking. "It's hard to describe, but I saw colors there, where there had only been a kind of dull gray for a long time." She leaned forward and put her hand on Elizabeth's. "It took a while for me to figure out that it was you that got him to see the colors again."

Elizabeth smiled and said, softly, "He's done the same for me. He's such a good man, Rebecca. It's like... if he has a choice he'll always do the right thing. The thing that hurts the fewest people and helps the most."

Rebecca said, "And of course it warms a mother's heart to hear something like that." Something dark passed over her face. "Because if you could have seen him. Right after..."

Elizabeth nodded, "He's told me some of it. I can't even imagine the pain of what he went through."

"I should have been here," Rebecca said softly. "We just thought we had time..."

Now it was Elizabeth's turn to put her hand on Rebecca's. "In everything he's said to me, he's never said that."

"No," Rebecca said. "He would never have put blame on me. He'd already put it all on himself." She shook her head. "Dear Lord, how he blamed himself. You raise your children hoping they never have to face a great tragedy, and Nathan had two, one right after the other. Lost his father and his sister, and he idolized both."

"I know. But the important thing is that he still has you, and he sees joy in the world. I love that about him," Elizabeth said.

Rebecca smiled and her eyes danced. "Oh, I can see that, honey. It's in both of you and it's a beautiful thing to watch."

Elizabeth poured more tea from the pot to warm up her cup. "I saw twins being born once. They're six years old now. Carla thought she was _just a little big_," Elizabeth said, laughing. "The first one was born and we were all telling her what a good job she did, and she said, 'It's not over!'"

Rebecca laughed too. "I did the same thing! Sarah was smaller than Nathan and she just popped right out. Everyone's celebrating and I'm saying, 'Ummmm. I think there's another one!"

"The picture in my bedroom is wonderful. I told Nathan I can really see what they were like together," Elizabeth said.

"Those two..." Rebecca said, smiling. "They were like two sides of the same coin. Never apart. Sarah was three minutes older than Nathan and she liked to call him 'baby brother.' Used to drive him wild! They could compete over anything; who could eat faster, ride faster, hold their breath longer..." She shook her head. "But Lord they loved each other. Nathan said afterwards that he couldn't get her voice out of his head. He'd hear it and think she was right next to him."

"I was that way for a while, too," Elizabeth said.

"With Jack's father?" Rebecca asked.

"Yes."

"And he was a Mountie too?"

"Yes, and you probably know that he died on Mountie business," Elizabeth said, smiling sadly but looking Rebecca in the eye. "And I think I know your next question. No, I don't have the same fear with Nathan."

Rebecca nodded. "That _was_ my next question. Why don't you?"

"They couldn't be more different, Rebecca. And the more I know Nathan, the more I think it may have to do with Sarah. He lost the person closest to him, and as a result, he has a different set of priorities than Jack did. I described it once to a good friend that Jack had his eyes on the stars and Nathan has his eyes on me."

Rebecca laughed. "He does, and that's a fact. I've never seen him this happy."

"And do you understand what I mean by that?" Elizabeth asked.

"I do," Rebecca said. "Nathan told me in a letter that he's not looking for anything but a post in Hope Valley. He's been very clear with his superiors about that, too." Rebecca winked. "That doesn't make me unhappy."

Rebecca looked at the clock on the mantel and stood up. "Time to get the meat going. Can you get that bowl out of the icebox, please?" Rebecca pulled down a cast iron pan and lit the fire on the stove. A little lard, some salt, and then the beef she had cut up earlier this morning.

Elizabeth was curious. "I feel so spoiled having our Mercantile just about five minutes from my door in Hope Valley. It's a two-hour round trip for you, isn't it? To the General Store in town?"

"Yes," Rebecca said, "But we don't go often. We used your arrival yesterday to buy flour, salt, baking powder, that sort of thing. Only things we don't grow or raise here."

Elizabeth frowned and inclined her head toward the pan. "But the beef?"

Rebecca laughed. "You heard that conversation this morning. Well, I think Charlie hides a few cows and pigs and chickens somewhere out on our acreage before I get a chance to name them. All I know is that every once in a while we have steaks and roasts and jerky and bones for soup." Rebecca looked up from stirring the pan, smiling. "I don't ask. But I do count the ones I can see, and he knows it!" She handed Elizabeth a large spoon. "Honey, can you spoon these into the pot, and then we're done for a while."

While she was doing that, Elizabeth said, "Charlie handles a lot around here, doesn't he?"

Rebecca nodded, "Oh, I can't imagine how I'd do it without him. I was hoping Nathan might..." She stopped herself. "No, I shouldn't say that, Elizabeth. Our children need to find their own lives, and he's found his. I know he loves this ranch, but it's not his life. And the last thing I want him to do is live something that's not his life."

Elizabeth finished and put down the pan. And then she hugged Rebecca. She couldn't stop herself. She pulled away and looked into those blue eyes that were so like Nathan's and said, "I'm so glad to know you, Rebecca. Now I can see why Nathan is such a good man."

Elizabeth asked for Rebecca's help to move the crib out to the porch so Jack could nap outside while she wrote. It was light and they did it easily.

Jack played quietly with his Mountie for a short while, listening to the birds in the trees around them, and then he nodded off to sleep.

She opened her journal and began to write.

_This ranch has a peaceful life to it, as if it moves with nature rather than against it. The lowing of cows, scratching of chickens, the sound of a hammer repairing a fence, and even the faraway sound of the wind in the oak tree that guards the gravesites of those family members no longer here. All of it flows together into a place that sets my heart at rest. I love Hope Valley no less, but I will always be glad to return to this ranch._

"Is that anything I can read?" Nathan whispered, sitting down next to her on the porch swing. "You know how I love your writing." He had already stopped off to check on Jack sleeping soundly in the crib nearby. He never seemed to be able to pass Jack without a touch or a word.

Elizabeth smiled and handed him her journal, with a caveat. "Only this page, please."

Nathan offered up his crooked smile. "You know, for someone with less honor than a Mountie, that might be a tantalizing restriction."

Raising an eyebrow she said softly, "I wouldn't let anyone with less honor than a Mountie even hold this journal."

She pointed to the page, and sat back and closed her eyes.

She knew that Nathan never read anything she wrote only once. It was a gift to her that he took the time to understand her meanings, to appreciate the flow of her words. It was a kind of love.

After a time, she felt his lips on her cheek. He said against her skin, "It's beautiful."

Elizabeth opened her eyes and turned to him. Nathan continued, "It means so much to me that you feel this way about the ranch." He put his hand on her face. "How is it that you can put _my_ feelings into words, and I can't even verbalize them?"

She smiled. "It's easy. We feel the same."

Nathan handed her back the journal. "One page," he said. "Though I must admit I wonder sometimes what's on the rest of them."

Elizabeth laughed, looking down at the book in her hands. "Ramblings, tortured sentences, maybe a few rare gems."

She leaned into him and put her head on his shoulder. Nathan absentmindedly pushed the heel of his cast against the wood of the porch and set the swing moving back and forth slightly.

"I tried living here for a while," Nathan said. "And I do love the sounds, exactly as you describe them, and the _flow_ of this ranch." He paused, framing his words. "But the isolation felt wrong to me. Like we're here on the earth for a reason and it's to be with other people. I just wasn't ready for those other people to only be Mom, Charlie and Allie. And it didn't feel like it was good for Allie. She needs friends, and interaction."

"I understand that completely, and you're right about Allie." She looked up at him. "And selfishly, I'm glad you chose to be with us in Hope Valley."

Nathan frowned, thinking.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked.

"I just want your opinion on something, because you tend to see more than I do sometimes."

Intrigued, Elizabeth sat up. "Okay."

Nathan said, softly, "Do you think my mother and Charlie are... more than friends?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Would it bother you if they were?"

"No," he said. "It actually would ease my mind. I worry about her alone here."

In answer, Elizabeth pulled a strand of hair from her hair comb and drew it down over her temple. She took Nathan's hand and whispered, "What are you thinking when you do this?" She took his hand and used it to tuck the hair back, trailing his fingers over her skin.

Nathan smiled softly. She knew he would answer her honestly, because he always did. "I'm usually thinking how much I love you."

"Well, in the wagon on the way home yesterday, I saw Charlie do exactly that with a strand of your mother's hair."

"Oh," Nathan said. He nodded slowly. "Good. That's good. She deserves to be loved."


	23. Chapter 23

It had been a lazy afternoon. After Jack's nap, the five of them took a walk down to the stream on the property just below the house. Allie had been impatient to get out there and fish.

Allie and Nathan put their lines in the water while Rebecca and Elizabeth sat with Jack on a large quilt. Rebecca taught them how to make whistles by placing a flat blade of grass between their thumbs and blowing on it.

Jack was getting more comfortable with Rebecca, and was starting to take to her in the same way he had with Nathan and Allie. When she asked him if he wanted to learn the Horsey Song and patted her knee, he jumped right up.

Elizabeth had heard the song before:

_He always sings, raggy music to the cattle while he swings, back and forward in the saddle on a horse, a pretty good horse, with a syncopated gait, such a funny meter to the roar of his repeater..._ _He's a high-falutin', rootin' tootin' son-of-a-gun from Arizona, he's my Ragtime Cowboy Joe!_

While Rebecca sang it faster than Elizabeth thought was possible, she bounced Jack on her knee as if he were on a horse, and he rewarded the whole group with gales of delighted laughter.

Allie turned around and said, "Grandma, you used to sing that song to me!"

"Yes, I did, Alliebeck. And now you need to learn it so you can do it with Jack. I'll write it down for you."

Nathan and Allie each caught a couple of brook trout for dinner and they all walked back to the house relaxed after having their fill of fresh air.

Rebecca asked Elizabeth if she would mind baking some cookies with Allie and Jack for dessert, and she set them up in the kitchen with everything they needed.

"Nathan," Rebecca said, "Can you help me with something in the bedroom?"

"Sure, Mom," he said, and followed her down the long hallway.

Rebecca closed the door and said, "I want to give you something."

She went to her music box and pulled out the small drawer in the base. There was a square of black velvet with something wrapped inside, and she handed it to Nathan.

He looked at her, and sat down on the side of the bed. Rebecca sat next to him. Nathan folded back the corner of the fabric to reveal a gold wedding band and an engagement ring with four small diamonds in a square.

He looked up at her in surprise. "Whose are these?"

Rebecca touched the rings tenderly with her finger. "They were your great-grandmother Penny's, and then they were mine."

He hadn't noticed, but now he looked at her bare finger and said, "And you don't wear them anymore."

She smiled softly at him. "I loved your father very much, and I'll always be grateful that he gave me you and your sister; but I can't be married to him any longer after what he did."

"I understand that, Mom. I'd feel the same way if I were you."

Rebecca continued. "After reading your letters, I didn't need to meet Elizabeth to know that you were completely in love with her." Rebecca took Nathan's hand and held it tightly. "But I needed to meet her to know how she felt about you." Rebecca smiled. "I don't need to see any more, Nathan. She loves you with all her heart, and I couldn't wish better for you."

Folding Nathan's hand around the rings in the velvet, Rebecca said, "I want you to think of these as your great-grandmother's rings. She and your great-grandfather were happily married for over sixty years. That will be you and Elizabeth."

Nathan looked down at his hand. "I... I don't know what to say." He looked up and Rebecca could see tears in his eyes. She hugged him and whispered, "You don't have to say anything."

She sat back and looked him in the eye. "But don't dawdle, Nathan. Things pass you by before you know it. And that girl is something special. Don't you ever forget it."

Nathan laughed softly and met her eyes. "I won't, Mom. I'm ready. I'm not sure she is just yet. But I hope she will be soon."

Rebecca all but pushed Nathan and Elizabeth out for a late afternoon ride and to watch the sunset. They'd had a late lunch and would be having a late dinner, so there was plenty of time for it.

There were six horses in the stable on the Airdrie ranch, and Elizabeth had a hard time choosing which one to ride.

Nathan walked her down the stalls. "Obviously, Sunset is mine, and Allie seems to have chosen Buddy as hers. Mom and Charlie ride them all, but Mom has a soft spot for Sugar, and Charlie's favorite is Nugget. That leaves Toby and Rio."

Elizabeth smiled. She had grown up seeing horses as animals that drew carriages, and on the rare occasion that a woman rode, she would ride sidesaddle in fine dresses with parasols. As she stroked the sleek coats of these beautiful animals, Elizabeth thought it was such a privilege to be allowed to feel their strength and power, to have the wind in her hair, to be breathless and so fully out in nature riding with them.

"Now, if you have Jack in the saddle, you might like Rio. He's older and very calm, though any of them would do for that. But if you want to run, as I know you do at times," Nathan looked sideways at her, smiling, "Toby's the one. He loves nothing better than to get out and put some space between himself and the stables."

Elizabeth smiled at Nathan. More and more she was seeing how at home he was with horses, how expert he was in their care, and how intuitive he was about their thoughts and feelings. Nathan could be out of his element sometimes in the company of people, but here with horses there was no awkwardness. He stood tall and walked confidently, trailing his hands on their long necks and flanks, speaking to them in hushed tones – and they all trusted him completely. Elizabeth always thought Nathan was attractive, but here, in the stables, he sometimes took her breath away.

Elizabeth stood between the two stalls that held Toby and Rio, looking back and forth. She put her hands on the gates and Toby immediately nuzzled her. "Hey, boy," she said, laughing.

Nathan smiled. "Toby it is."

While they brushed the horses in preparation for saddling them, they talked easily about Nathan's childhood and how much a part of it the stables were. "I wasn't much on chores, but Mom and Charlie learned pretty fast that anything to do with the horses would get done faster."

"Did Sarah ride?" Elizabeth asked.

Nathan grinned. "She loved it." He raised an eyebrow. "She loved to _race._ When you and I were in that field and you challenged me to a race? It took me right back."

Elizabeth smiled playfully, "Rebecca told me that Sarah was a little older than you?"

Nathan looked indignant. _"Three minutes!" _he said. "She would never let me forget that." He laughed and leaned his chest against Sunset, looking over her at Elizabeth.

"Does it ever get any easier?" he asked, softly.

Elizabeth knew that she and Nathan had a bond in those they'd lost too early to death. She knew he was asking about Jack.

Walking around Sunset, Elizabeth took Nathan's hand.

"I think once I got past the unfairness of it all, once I moved past being angry with God and with every man still walking around, alive, in the uniform, I was able to get some perspective."

She leaned against Nathan, feeling his warmth and solid presence, and was so grateful for him. "Women have been losing their husbands, and men have been losing their sisters, since the beginning of time. It's personal to us – _so personal_, but it's a part of life. We all die, the question is when, and how we use the time until we do."

Elizabeth looked up at him. "I wanted to stop living, but how would that honor Jack? So I embraced life." She put her hand gently on Nathan's cheek. "And life gave me you."

Nathan smiled tenderly and nodded. "And life gave me you," he said softly.

He pulled her to him and breathed in the scent of her hair, felt the softness of her skin. She was a wonder to him. How could he be ungrateful with her in his arms?

They stood holding each other for a time, listening to the soft sounds of the stable. Then Nathan took a deep breath and said, "Come on, let's get saddled up. I have a place I want to show you."

They rode out into one of the most beautiful spring evenings in Elizabeth's memory. The ranch was only ten acres, not large for a ranch in the area, so it wasn't far to ride to just about anywhere on the property.

The sun was low in the sky and the few scattered clouds served to make the approaching sunset even more beautiful as it tinged their outlines with pink and orange.

After about fifteen minutes, Nathan slowed and ducked down between the branches of two large oaks. Elizabeth followed him. When she sat back up in the saddle, she looked around in wonder.

They were in a round clearing, about forty or fifty feet in diameter. It was completely surrounded by tall trees; oaks, pines, and hemlocks. Around the perimeter, wildflowers were growing in a profusion of colors; white, pink, lavender and yellow.

At the very center was a rustic pergola built from four straight, sturdy pine posts and topped with open beams. Vines of honeysuckle and clematis had been trained up the posts and along the beams to form a latticed roof that dappled the stone floor with the last of the day's sunlight.

"Oh, Nathan," Elizabeth said, looking around her in amazement. "How did this get here? It's so... magical!"

She looked at Nathan and he was smiling that inscrutable smile of his.

Elizabeth laughed. "Of course, you built this. Is there anything you can't do?"

He raised his eyebrows. "It wouldn't be very impressive if I showed you all the things I _couldn't_ do, Elizabeth, though there are plenty that fall in that category. If it helps, Ned Yost said I was hopeless at learning Italian."

Jumping happily down from Toby, Elizabeth went to Sunset's side to help Nathan down. He could ride easily with the cast, but getting up and down was a challenge. He balanced lightly on her shoulder, swung his leg around and then hopped down on his good foot.

"You like it?" Nathan asked, walking Elizabeth over to a plank bench under the pergola.

She sighed. "I'm a little speechless," she said. "And yes, I love it."

And then, in his surprising Nathan way, he simply said, "I always thought this would be a nice place to get married."

He watched her wide-eyed reaction closely, and he got his answer. _Too soon._ It didn't surprise or upset him. He understood.

"Look, Elizabeth. I'm not asking now, and I'm not meaning to hurry you. But," He smiled at her, "I think you know that spending anything less than the rest of our lives together would be an enormous disappointment to me."

She looked back at him with a depth of love in her eyes that made him take a breath. "And it would be to me, too. I love you, completely and without reservation." She paused, looking down. "I don't want you to mistake the way I just reacted, Nathan."

Elizabeth looked up at the vines above them and the flowers and trees around the clearing. "My heart is so full right now that I would stand here with you this minute and pledge the rest of my life to you. Just us, and Allie and Jack and Rebecca and Charlie. That I could handle."

Nathan said, "That's a perfect picture you just painted." He grinned. "Let's do that."

Elizabeth laughed softly. "Believe me, I'm tempted. But what about my parents and my sisters?"

Nathan exhaled. "Yes, your parents. Hamilton society." He shook his head. "You might as well take me to the moon, Elizabeth. I'm beyond being nervous about meeting them and your sisters. I wouldn't know the first thing about which fork to use, and what are they going to think about you marrying another Mountie? What if your father doesn't offer me a job, will I feel slighted?" He laughed softly and took her hand. "And none of this really matters, I know. What matters is that I love you and want to share the rest of my life with you. So I'll go to Hamilton and try not to stutter and trip over my own feet."

She laughed and moved closer, putting her head on his shoulder. "I don't care in the slightest if you trip, and I love your stutters. Honestly, you know what I'm thinking? We invite them all to Hope Valley and let it be up to them. When I married Jack, my mother and Viola were in Europe. Only my father and Julie came. There's no reason to subject you to Hamilton, Nathan. The more I think about it, I don't want to."

Nathan took a deep breath. "I won't fight you on this, if you really mean it."

Elizabeth held him close. "I need to tell you this, and it's hard for me to say. My family, with the exception of Julie, were not kind to Jack. They didn't think he was an appropriate choice for a Thatcher. And the truth is, they probably won't be kind to you."

"I would walk through fire for you, Elizabeth," he said softly.

"But I don't want you to. I know Julie will come out if I ask her. If my parents and Viola can't rise to the occasion, then they shouldn't be there anyway."

Nathan frowned. "Wait. I'm a little confused. Are we planning a wedding? I'm still trying to figure out how to get down on one knee with this cast on."

Elizabeth turned and looked at him, her face turning crimson in the early twilight. "Oh, this is embarrassing. You haven't even asked me yet, have you?"

"Not properly, no," Nathan said. "But when have we _ever_ been proper?"

With that, Nathan stood. And with the help of a post, the bench, and a small tree, began to bend himself so that his leg with the cast was straight out to the side and he was effectively on the other knee. Elizabeth, laughing, tried to help him and he said, "No, it's required that I do this myself. Be patient, please."

Finally, somewhat out of breath, and more than a little out of balance, Nathan reached in his pocket and pulled out a small square of black velvet.

To Elizabeth's quizzical look, he said, "My mother told me today that I shouldn't dawdle, that I might lose you if I waited too long."

"That sounds like your mother," Elizabeth said. "But you won't lose me, Nathan, dawdling or not."

"No, I won't, because I'm taking her advice. She'll tell you that doesn't happen very often," Nathan said, starting to laugh himself.

Before he began, he said, softly, "I know this will surprise you, but I haven't really thought through what I'm going to say. I'm doing the best I can on short notice, but I probably won't be quoting Emerson. I was so sure you were going to say we had to wait."

Elizabeth said, her eyes sparkling, "Well, get on with it."

Nathan took a deep breath. His eyes went very soft and Elizabeth's heart expanded.

"Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton, you are the kindest, wisest, most beautiful woman I have ever known. I love you more than my own life, more than the Mounties, more than Bear, and more than Sunset. You've made me believe that love is real, that signs exist and that dreams really do come true. I want to help you raise Jack, and I want you to be a mother to Allie, and I hope you'll say yes so we can do that for the rest of our lives."

Elizabeth was caught between crying and laughing, so she just gave in and did both.

Opening the square of black velvet, Nathan took out the ring with the four diamonds in it. "This was my mother's and her grandmother's." Nathan looked closely at it and smiled. "It has four diamonds. One for you, one for me, one for Allie and one for Jack. I would like for us to be a family."

Now Elizabeth was crying. This proposal was so... Nathan. And she loved him so dearly.

"Will you marry me?"

Because it wasn't going to be easy for Nathan to stand up, Elizabeth got down on her knees in front of him.

She held his face in both of her hands and kissed him tenderly.

"Yes."

On cue, the sun slipped down below the horizon and the sky burst into colors that rivalled the wildflowers.

Elizabeth threw her arms around Nathan and he held her as close as was humanly possible. What they were feeling was immeasurable, so they didn't speak.

They didn't have everything worked out, but that didn't trouble them. Whatever they did, they would do together. And that made all the difference.


	24. Chapter 24

It was full dark with a half-moon as Nathan and Elizabeth rode back to the stables. They could see the lights of the ranch house, warm and inviting, from quite a distance.

They rode mostly in silence, not because they had nothing to say, but because there was so much in their hearts. At one point, Elizabeth just laughed – she couldn't hold it in any longer. Nathan took her hand and grinned at her. They rode that way for a long time.

They were both thinking about how life offers up new beginnings when you least expect them, how it really does seem darkest before the dawn, and how very strong they felt together.

Elizabeth spent a lot of time looking at her left hand. The ring wasn't on her third finger because it was a little too big and she worried it would slip off. But it fit on her first finger. That was what had made her laugh. This courtship had been anything but traditional from the moment it started. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

Nathan's thoughts were simpler. He was wondering when he was going to wake up from this dream.

When they got to the house, Rebecca, Allie and Jack were in the living room. They had draped blankets over the dining room chairs to create a fort in front of the fire.

All three were lying in the middle of the floor while Rebecca told stories about the native tribes that had lived in Alberta for generations. "Charlie's mother was Blackfoot, and that means Charlie belongs to the Algonquin family. They are a brave and powerful people, and very proud."

Jack held up his Mountie, and Rebecca smiled. "Yes, Jack, the Mounties are also very brave, and the best part is that the Mounties were formed in order to make peace with the native tribes. Others were fighting them, but the Mounties have always been their friends. They call them the Red Coats."

Jack didn't understand what she was saying, of course, but Rebecca's voice was passionate and soothing all at once, and he was mesmerized by the sound of it and the patterns of light dancing on her face from the fire.

Nathan and Elizabeth didn't want to disturb them, so they tiptoed out and sat on the porch swing.

After they'd sat a while, Nathan said, "Did I tell you that my grandparents built this house?"

Elizabeth was leaning on his chest with his arm around her. She felt safe and warm. And so happy. "No, but it feels like that. Like there's only been one family in it. Yours."

"My mother told me they started with this porch," Nathan said. "They wanted a place to watch the sunset every day, so before they built the house they would come out here and just sit. Once they had the perfect view, they built this porch and then built the house around it."

Elizabeth smiled. "That's very romantic and very logical at the same time."

Nathan kissed her cheek. "Elizabeth, I'm having trouble keeping a logical thought in my head right now. I asked and you said yes, right? That really happened?"

Laughing, Elizabeth said, "Yes. It really happened." She held up her hand. "See?"

Nathan reached out and held her hand in his. "We have to get this sized for your finger."

"I was thinking about that, Nathan," Elizabeth said. "But first I want to ask you some questions."

Nathan took a breath. "Uh-oh, that sounds ominous."

"No, no, not at all. Just logistical questions." She sat up. She could see him faintly in the light of the moon.

"So, Carson told you three months for the cast. It's been, what? Close to five weeks?" She raised an eyebrow. "Not that you're following any of Carson's instructions."

Nathan smiled. "I'm being smart, Elizabeth. I'm not out to cripple myself. There's no pain and my leg feels completely solid. I think I might heal faster than Carson thought I would. Doctors always err on the side of caution."

Elizabeth shook her head. "You're not a very good patient, are you?" She moved back under his arm and leaned into him. "Anyway, Allie, Jack and I will leave on Monday, because school starts again on Tuesday. I know we talked about you staying here for a while?"

Nathan put his arms all the way around her tightly. "Yes, but that was before you became my _betrothed,"_ he said, making the word sound elegant. "I'm not sure I'd like being away from you."

Elizabeth tightened her arms on his. "I don't like the idea of that either, but I'm wondering how you'll feel in Hope Valley with another Mountie in your office and Carson watching you _not_ follow his instructions?"

Nathan exhaled. "Well, there is that."

"I'd miss you terribly, Nathan, but you'd be busy here. And Rebecca would love it."

"That she would. But there's no telephone here, or anywhere in Airdrie, Elizabeth."

"We could write each other letters," Elizabeth said.

Smiling, Nathan said, "Just like Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning."

Elizabeth sat up. "Yes!" Nathan was constantly amazing her. _Horses and literature? How did I get so lucky?_ "I've read those letters over and over. So romantic!"

Nathan laughed. "I'm _not_ Robert Browning, although you could probably give Elizabeth Barrett a run for her money."

"That's very sweet of you to say. And I would love anything you write."

Nathan sighed. "I have thought about this, and it does make sense for me to stay a little while. There's so much to do, and I did tell Mom I would expand the animal enclosures. And she's a terrible bookkeeper. I usually have to straighten the accounts out when I visit. And you're right, I'd have to sneak around to ride Bear in Hope Valley with this cast."

Elizabeth nodded. "Carson said at eight weeks you could ride, so maybe you stay three weeks here and then come home? Allie can stay with me, of course." As she talked, Elizabeth was holding Nathan tighter and tighter. "Oh, I can't believe I'm saying all this. I already miss you."

Nathan said softly, "It seems we're going to have a lifetime together. Maybe it's not a bad thing for us to miss each other. Don't want you getting tired of having me around."

"Never," Elizabeth said.

Nathan frowned. "So how did all of this start with you sizing your ring?"

Elizabeth held her hand out and looked at it again. "I like that you just called it _my_ ring."

"I gave it to you."

"Yes, you did."

Another pause. Nathan and Elizabeth did this. A _lot._ They would look at each other and get a little lost.

"So. The ring," Nathan said. "Sizing it."

Elizabeth took a deep breath to clear her head. "Yes. The ring. How would you feel if I got a chain and wore it around my neck until you get back to Hope Valley? I want to tell a few people, like Rosemary and Clara, in private. And then you and I will be able to tell everyone else together when you get there."

Nathan was quiet for a moment and Elizabeth frowned. She could almost read his mind. "No, it's not that I'm having any kind of second thoughts. It's not that I don't want people to know. It's not any of the things you're thinking right now."

Nathan narrowed his eyes. "You told me once that you're psychic. You were kidding, right?"

Elizabeth didn't say a word. She just moved closer and kissed him. She could feel him relax, feel his defenses go down. Leaning back, Elizabeth said, "I love you. I'll shout it from the church spire if you want me to. I'm not ever changing my mind. I just want to be standing next to you when we tell people."

Nathan smiled. "When you put it that way, it sounds perfectly reasonable. But just in case, maybe you'd better kiss me again..."

Behind them, the screen door opened with a creak.

"Hold that thought," Elizabeth said.

"Just wanted to be sure you got back okay. I figured I might find you two on that swing," Rebecca said, peeking out of the door.

The porch swing was very wide and Elizabeth moved over and said brightly, "Come sit with us, Rebecca."

Rebecca laughed and said, "Oh, I don't think you need a third wheel out here under the moon."

Nathan laughed. "Mom, please sit," he said.

Rebecca walked over and sat down next to Elizabeth. "I do love this swing. Did Nathan tell you that my parents built this porch to face the sunset?"

"He just told me," Elizabeth said. "It's a sweet story."

Rebecca nodded. "They were pretty sweet together."

Casually, Elizabeth held her hand up in the moonlight, admiring her ring.

Rebecca saw it and laughed out loud. "Nathan!" she said, joyfully, "You didn't dawdle!" She reached her arm around Elizabeth and gave her a hug that could crack ribs. "I'm so _glad!"_

Taking Elizabeth's hand, she said, "I thought it might be too big for your slender little fingers. We'll have to get that sized down, but it should be easy."

Elizabeth said, "Oh, I can do th..."

Rebecca clasped her hands together. "Oh, we're going to have a wedding! So much to do!"

Nathan and Elizabeth turned to each other and laughed.

_And so it begins. At least we had it to ourselves for an hour or so._

The screen door squeaked again. "You see, Jack? They're all out here." Allie and Jack came down to the swing holding hands. Jack put his arms up for Elizabeth and Allie jumped up on the other side of Nathan.

"Wheee," Rebecca said to Jack, putting him on her lap. "Five on a swing!"

Nathan put his arm around Allie and said, "We have something to tell you."

Elizabeth leaned over Nathan and said, "And we hope you're happy about it."

Allie knew right away. Her mouth dropped open and she looked up at Nathan grinning, "You _asked_ her?"

Nathan raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly, and Elizabeth held her hand out to show Allie the ring.

"Oh!" Allie said. "This is the best day ever!" She hugged Nathan, and then she and Elizabeth both leaned over Nathan and hugged.

Grinning at Allie, Nathan said, "So I guess you're saying you're okay with this..."

Allie rolled her eyes. "I just don't know what took you so long."

* * *

The next morning, the moment Elizabeth stepped out of her room with Jack, Nathan came into the hallway.

"I want to show you something," he said.

Elizabeth laughed. "Good morning to you, too."

Nathan stopped. "Oh, sorry," he said, kissing her quickly on the cheek. "Good morning. It's just that you're not going to believe this."

"What is it?" Elizabeth said.

"Follow me," Nathan said, as he started down the hallway.

"We're going to your room?" Elizabeth said, frowning.

Nathan turned and looked at her, pretending to be shocked. "Do you doubt the honor of a Mountie, Elizabeth? You'll be perfectly safe, I assure you."

She laughed and said, "No, I don't doubt you. Lead on, Constable."

Elizabeth was laughing, but she had to admit, the idea of walking into the room he'd lived in as a boy made her feel as if she was looking into a very private space. She was remembering her room, growing up.

There was the usual assortment of baseballs, a bridle and some lead ropes hanging on a nail, a desk with inkstand and pen, a camping lamp... boy things.

And she shouldn't have been surprised, but there were _so_ many books. Elizabeth ran her hand along the titles with her head tilted to read them.

She stopped when she got to an entire section of Jane Austen; _Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion._

Nathan noticed and he came up behind her.

She turned and looked at him, her eyebrows raised. "Jane Austen? I'm very impressed."

"What? That a boy of fifteen loved to read Austen? I did. But I never told anyone."

She smiled. "And here you are, trusting me with your secret."

He moved closer to her and touched her cheek. "It gets worse than that. I'm trusting you with my _heart."_

Elizabeth leaned up and kissed him, gently. "Lucky for you, both are entirely safe."

"So...," Nathan produced a small school writing book. "This is what I wanted to show you. I was reading before going to sleep last night and I saw this tucked between two books on my shelf. I probably haven't looked at this since I first wrote it."

Elizabeth recognized it, because she gave them out to her students all the time. They were for essays, or homework, to be handed in and graded and then given back to the student.

He gave it to her, and she read the front. In strong capital letters was written NATHAN GRANT.

She smiled up at him. "You were about, seven? Or eight? When you wrote this?"

"You're very good, Elizabeth. Seven."

"I've had a lot of practice."

"Open it," Nathan said. "In particular, read the first essay."

Elizabeth turned the page. At the top, as she often did with her students, was written a question. They were to write the answer in the pages that followed. Elizabeth read it out loud.

"_Imagine you are grown up. Where do you live, who are you with, and what do you do? Don't let anything limit you!"_ Elizabeth smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, I like your teacher very much. I may have to steal this idea!"

Nathan whispered, "I believe she was a hundred years old when she was teaching me. Somehow I don't think she'll mind. Read on," he said.

In Nathan's seven-year-old hand, Elizabeth read:

_I will live on a ranch in Airdrie with a thousand horses, and I'll know all their names. Every day I'll ride a different one. My job will be to take care of them. My sister will live there too. I will marry a girl named Elizabeth._

Looking up sharply, Elizabeth said, "No. How...?

Nathan laughed and shook his head. "I have _no_ idea. I almost knocked on your door in the middle of the night, but I didn't want to wake Jack."

Narrowing his eyes, Nathan said, "So, Elizabeth. Just to be clear. Is _this_ what you would call a signpost?"


	25. Chapter 25

Elizabeth couldn't believe her week in Airdrie was already half over. She hadn't known what to expect; it was such a lovely surprise to be welcomed by Rebecca so completely, to see Jack taking to the ranch as if he had always known it, and to be able to ride with Nathan every day.

And the best part. Nathan's proposal, which still simultaneously made her laugh softly and feel tears come to her eyes whenever she thought of it.

Elizabeth wanted to take Allie and Jack out to the pergola, because she knew they would also see the wonder of it. It had always been Nathan's private place where he would go to read, to tend the flowers, wind the vines around the beams, and think.

He'd cleared the land and built the structure when he was around fourteen. Sarah hadn't really helped, but she would watch and give advice, and read to him, and they would tell each other their dreams for the future.

Today, Allie and Jack were on the quilt they'd brought out, just finishing up the last of their picnic lunch. Sunset, Rio and Buddy were lightly tethered nearby where they'd found patches of tender spring grass to eat.

Nathan couldn't just sit when he was here, so he and Elizabeth were walking around the pergola, gathering up the somewhat out-of-control tendrils of honeysuckle and tucking them in so they would grow up and around the pine posts.

Nathan suddenly leaned around the post they were both working on and kissed Elizabeth. She closed her eyes and the combination of the kiss and the sweet aroma of the flowers made her head spin a little.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" Elizabeth asked.

Nathan's eyes were soft. "It was a thank you. I used to love it here so much, and it's felt like a dark place since Sarah died." He looked around him. "We spent a lot of time in this clearing." Nathan smiled and took a deep breath. "It feels light here again."

Nathan looked at Jack and Allie and then back to Elizabeth, and he shook his head. "I ask myself, how did my life get this perfectly full?" Nathan took her hand around the post. "It all started with you."

Elizabeth smiled gently. "It's true of me, too. And now we have our whole lives ahead of us. Together." She sighed and leaned against the post. "Do you have any idea how happy I am, Nathan? I wonder sometimes if you realize what an extraordinary person you are."

Nathan just looked at her, not speaking, but with a fathomless depth in his blue eyes.

Elizabeth smiled. "You see? There. At the beginning when you would look at me that way, I couldn't imagine what you were thinking." She laughed softly. "I would meet you on the street and try to make conversation, and it was like pulling teeth to get a _word_ out of you. But I knew..." Elizabeth reached around the post and touched his face. "...I knew there was so much in there that you wanted to say."

Nathan said, softly, "I think I loved you the first minute I saw you in my office, Elizabeth. I'd never felt that before. I was afraid if I spoke to you that you would know somehow, or that I would just blurt it out one day. I almost did, so many times."

Elizabeth took another long stem of honeysuckle and wrapped it around the post. "Do you remember that day when I was with Jack out by the pond? You rode up and stopped to talk to us?"

Nathan nodded. "Yes, it was when I first realized that you were a writer."

Elizabeth laughed. "Funny you should say that, because I was having a little internal crisis that day about being a writer. I wasn't sure I was up to it."

Elizabeth continued. "You've always had this connection to little Jack, Nathan. From the very first, after his Christening, and, you must have noticed how he loves to just look at you and talk to you, reach his arms up for you to hold him. He's done it more with you than with anyone else."

She twirled a flower around her finger. "Remember? When you asked me what was in my heart? Jack said, 'Mama.'"

Elizabeth said, "By the time you rode away, I knew I would keep writing, and I knew what I would write about. By asking that simple question, you helped me find my answer."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "But you know the other part of the question I was asking, don't you?"

"Yes. And I had that answer too. You were in my heart." She sighed, remembering. "Out there, among the trees, sitting so straight and tall in the saddle, in your uniform and so handsome. You took my breath away." She looked at him and smiled from under her long lashes. "And I did finally figure it out, Nathan."

Nathan smiled. "So if we'd said it then? If I'd told you I loved you, if you'd said what you were feeling? Would we have ruined it, or would it have happened sooner?"

"I don't know," Elizabeth said slowly. "I was so stunned that I was feeling something that strong again. My heart was pounding when you got back up on Bear. I'm not sure I could have put together a coherent sentence."

Nathan said softly, "_For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven..."_

Elizabeth smiled. "Ecclesiastes. I love that one."

"I think it all happened as it was supposed to. And in its own time," Nathan said.

Elizabeth touched his forehead, gently. "I knew," she said. "I knew there was so much in here." Moving her hand down to his chest, just over his heart, she said, "And here."

"Thank you for sticking around long enough to find out," Nathan said, enclosing her hand in his on his chest. "I seem to have found my voice with you." He gave her his crooked smile, "Now you can't shut me up."

Elizabeth laughed. "I don't ever want to."

Nathan picked a small yellow flower from the vine. "Do you know why they call it honeysuckle?" he asked. He took the end of the flower and put it gently between Elizabeth's lips.

She tasted it and smiled. "Honey."

"Nectar," Nathan said softly. "Bees and hummingbirds love it."

Elizabeth sighed softly. "Have I told you today that I love you?"

"Nope."

"I love you," Elizabeth whispered.

When Nathan kissed her he could still taste some of the nectar on her lips. One by one, the dark memories were being replaced by the light.

They spent the day there, the four of them. Nathan had brought one of his favorite books and although he'd thought he would just read it himself, Allie and Elizabeth asked him to read aloud from his copy of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

"_Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it – namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain."_

While he read, Nathan had his hand absentmindedly on Jack's back as he napped on the quilt. Allie and Elizabeth were braiding wildflowers into garlands for their hair.

Allie placed the garland on her head and Elizabeth said, "Oh, Allie. You look beautiful."

Allie sighed and Elizabeth could see a resolve come into her eyes.

"Uncle Nathan? Family meeting," she said suddenly, in a very business-like tone of voice, but quietly so she wouldn't wake Jack.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in a silent question to Nathan as he closed the book and put it down.

Nathan said to Elizabeth, "One of my mother's traditions. When we had things to say, we could call a family meeting, and everyone had to sit down and listen."

Nathan sat up, though he couldn't seem to take his hand from Jack's warm back.

"The floor is yours, Allie," Nathan said. Elizabeth thought he sounded a little like Bill Avery.

"I'm thirteen," Allie said. "I don't know when exactly I'm considered grown up, but I do get told to act grown up a lot, so I guess it's now." She took a deep breath. "And I'm wondering when I get to make some decisions about myself, instead of having them all made for me."

Nathan and Elizabeth were speechless for a moment. In truth, they were so proud of Allie, she could stop now and they'd think of her as grown up.

Nathan said, "That's fair, Allie. What kinds of decisions do you want to make?"

Allie looked at Nathan. "Well, you decided to change my name to Grant before I was old enough to tell you what I thought about it. That was a good decision. I agree with that one."

Nathan nodded without changing his expression. Inside, all he could think was how like Sarah she was right now.

Allie continued. "Mrs. Thornton and I have talked about this a little," Allie said, "And she told me that I needed to tell you how I feel."

Nathan raised an eyebrow and looked at Elizabeth. She said softly, "Confidentiality, Nathan. It wasn't my story to tell." Nathan smiled, remembering the last time she'd said that to him and how grateful he'd been. He looked back at his niece.

"Go on, Allie," Nathan said.

"I don't remember Sarah, my mother. I only remember you. I know you've told me that she loved me very much. You've never talked much about my father, and neither has Grandma. I guess he must not be a very good guy, because neither of you seem to like him, and he's never tried to meet me."

Nathan nodded again and then stole a look at Elizabeth. He wondered if she could tell that his heart was hammering a little in his chest. He thought he knew where this was going.

Allie took a deep breath. "When you get married, I want to be adopted. I want you to be my Dad, and I want Mrs. Thornton to be my Mom. I want Jack to be my brother. And when you have children, I want them to be my brothers and sisters, too." She stopped, and Nathan could see her eyes were full of tears just about to spill over. "You say we're a family. I want to be a family."

"Oh, Allie." Nathan reached out and she fell into his arms. Allie's tears were falling now, making soft wet spots on Nathan's shirt as he held her. Elizabeth sat a little apart with her hands over her heart, and she was crying, too. As Nathan looked at her over Allie's shoulder, Elizabeth saw his eyes fill as well.

Nathan said, softly, "I can't think of anything I'd like better, Allie." He reached out an arm and drew Elizabeth in. She put one arm around Allie and replaced Nathan's hand on Jack.

Allie was laughing and crying at the same time. "I can't breathe," she said, caught in the middle.

She looked around at the three of them. "But I could get used to this."

* * *

As they rode out, Nathan took one last look around, as he always did, to be sure he hadn't left anything behind.

He was remembering what Elizabeth had said a while ago, when they were in the cabin where she'd had Jack. How places are the same, but the way we feel about them can change depending on where we are in life, and who we're with.

Nathan used to think of this clearing as a place where he and Sarah had talked and dreamed, and then as a place where he grieved for his life without her.

Now it was a place where he'd asked Elizabeth to marry him, and where Allie had truly made them into a family.

Instead of just dreaming of his future here, it was now a place where his dreams had come true.

They rode back slowly, because Jack was in the saddle with Elizabeth. He seemed entirely at home on a horse now, and knew to keep his little hands tightly around the horn. He never fussed or seemed bored, and that made Elizabeth very happy. She loved that he would enjoy a life on horses, just as she was doing, as his father had, and as Nathan did.

They rode for a while in their own thoughts. It had been a momentous couple of days, and each of them had plenty to think about.

Riding closer to Nathan, Elizabeth said, "I need to know what you think about something, Nathan."

Nodding, he said, "Okay."

"Actually, two things. I know this is all very new, but the questions are; when, and where?" She knew he would know just what she was asking.

Nathan smiled easily at her. "Well, as to when, I would marry you tomorrow, so I'm afraid that's up to you. You probably think it's more complicated than that, and you're probably right but..." He reached out and took the hand that wasn't around Jack, "...I see it as a simple matter of standing before God and making a promise. I could do that right now."

Elizabeth laughed softly. "You have no idea how much I wish I felt it was that easy." She nodded. "So, up to me. I'll get back to you on that."

Nathan sighed. "And where? I have thought about that a bit." He raised an eyebrow. "Can we get married twice?"

Laughing, Elizabeth said, "I _know!_ My thoughts exactly! And I've been wondering... What if we invited people here, and those that can make it can see us marry at the pergola... and then we go back to Hope Valley and have a huge party to celebrate?"

Nathan exhaled, his face completely open. "You would be willing to do that?"

"Yes. I think so."

Nathan squeezed her hand. "I have to admit, it has weighed on me a little... thinking about marrying you in the same church, in the same uniform as you did with Jack. I just don't think it would be possible for so many of the same people to focus on... us. They would be remembering the past, not looking to the future. Does that make sense?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Perfect sense. And I agree with you. I want this to be different. To be _ours."_

Nathan laughed softly, "So, what's your best guess on how many would take an eight-hour train trip, an hour in a wagon, and then another half hour on horseback or in a second wagon to see us say 'I do'?"

Laughing, Elizabeth said, "It might be just us!"

Nathan's eyes softened. "I'd be okay with that. And then when we get back to Hope Valley, we have Lucas open up the saloon and maybe the party spills out into the street. You think we could get him to do the lanterns again?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow. "You know the only person we need to ask for help, and it will be completely out of control."

They both said together, "Rosemary!"

Elizabeth felt her eyes filling with tears. "I love all of this so much, Nathan. A true celebration. A kind of rebirth, for both of us. Hope, and the future."

Nathan smiled back at her. "And Sunday is Easter. There's a little church in Airdrie that you'll see when we go for the sunrise service. It's sweet and easier to get to, but..."

Elizabeth nodded. "You still want the pergola."

She squeezed his hand tightly. "I do, too."


	26. Chapter 26

The rest of the week flew by.

They spent their days riding, fishing, taking walks, or lazing by the stream, reading books aloud to each other. Sometimes it was just Nathan and Elizabeth, most of the time it was the four of them, sometimes five when Rebecca joined them, and in the evenings, it was all six of them as Charlie sat playing chess with Nathan, Rebecca sewed, Elizabeth wrote, and Allie and Jack played.

The kitchen was always in the middle of the commotion; Elizabeth got the recipes for Rebecca's fragrant soups and cornbread, savory roast chicken and potatoes, and pies made with apples that Jack picked from high on Nathan's shoulders.

She wrote the recipes directly into her journal, along with every observation she could put into words. She knew she would come back here again and again, but she also knew there was no substitute for defining first impressions; smells, sounds, tastes, feelings.

The garden wanted tending, the horses required brushing, the graves on the hill needed to have weeds pulled. There was always something to do; and Elizabeth loved the activity, the purpose, and the focus of keeping a ranch running smoothly.

She missed teaching and she missed Hope Valley and the people in it very much, but it was a surprise to her how much she also loved Airdrie and the Grant's ranch.

Elizabeth and Nathan went once more to the pergola, alone. It was there that it seemed easiest to talk about the future. Jack had wanted a house on the hill with a view; Nathan wanted one nestled in the trees with the life of birds and squirrels and deer all around them.

Elizabeth didn't care where their house was, as long as she could walk to school and town. Her needs were relatively simple; she wanted a kitchen like Rebecca's, a large fireplace and a porch swing. And bookshelves. Lots of bookshelves.

* * *

On Sunday morning, Easter Day, Elizabeth had to wake before the rooster crowed. She thought it would only be fair for her to go out and crow next to _his_ bed, but she restrained herself. They bundled Jack and Allie into warm clothes and then allowed them to go right back to sleep once in the wagon.

Elizabeth snuggled close to Nathan on the front bench as he held the reins on Sugar and Nugget. She knew it was Sunday morning, but it still felt a little like Saturday night. The moon was all but lost behind a light haze. Nathan had said he could make his way on the road to Airdrie in his sleep. Between the hour and the dark, Elizabeth supposed he was putting that to the test.

She was glad that Nathan had brought the warm wool blanket that was wrapped cozily around both of them. With no spring sun yet to warm the air, it would have been very chilly without it.

Charlie had stayed home today, ostensibly to get the meats for dinner in the oven, but Rebecca had also made it clear that Charlie had his own rituals, and that he strongly embraced his Blackfoot side. He also honored all ways of communion with nature and God and he'd said so before he waved goodbye at the door this morning.

Rebecca was right behind them in the back of the wagon, leaned up against the bench. She was also covered with a blanket, but she had the added heat of a sleeping Allie on one side and a sleeping Jack in her arms. Having Allie so close, and holding Jack while he slept, was filling her with a joy she couldn't adequately express.

Elizabeth turned and whispered, "You okay, Rebecca?"

"Not just okay, Elizabeth. I'm in _heaven_. I may have to take the blanket off, though," she said with a little laugh.

Nathan turned and said, "Jack is like a little woodstove, isn't he, Mom? Sometimes I feel like he can heat the whole house when he sleeps."

"I believe he could, Nathan." Rebecca smiled to herself, grateful that she'd had them all at the house for a week. It made everything very clear. _Nathan isn't just in love with Elizabeth. He's always loved Allie, and now he's head over heels in love with this little boy._

"So, where do they hold the service?" Elizabeth asked.

"The tradition up until a couple years ago was to hold it in the graveyard, to celebrate the triumph over death. But there's no city to speak of in Airdrie. It's mostly made up of farmers and ranchers and their families that travel a long way to come to services, and the area is growing fast. It got too full and we were all starting to trample the graves a little.

Elizabeth smiled. "More living than dead, that's a good sign."

"Yes," Nathan said, smiling over at her. "So they built a garden behind the church and put benches around it in a horseshoe shape facing the sunrise."

Sighing, Elizabeth said, "It sounds lovely. I'm really looking forward to this, Nathan."

"You don't miss being in Hope Valley?"

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "It helps that I'm going back tomorrow. But Airdrie, your ranch, the horses, everything here is so wonderful. I love both places."

She leaned up and snuggled into his neck. "I know when I'm in Hope Valley next week I will miss the ranch, and _you_, so much. How did that happen so fast, that I fell in love with this place?"

"It's got some magic, that's for sure. And Elizabeth," he lowered his voice a little so Rebecca couldn't hear. "I should tell you... You've probably assumed the ranch is Mom's, but it's not." Elizabeth looked up at him. "It's mine," Nathan said.

"Oh," Elizabeth said, softly.

"My father lost everything, and when he went to prison, we were worried that the bank would come after the ranch. So we had it legally changed into my name."

Elizabeth smiled. "Thank you for telling me, but somehow it doesn't seem to change anything in my mind."

"You're right. It really doesn't make any difference. I'm Mom's only child now, and she would leave it to me anyway. And of course she will live here for as long as she wants, which is probably as long as she's alive." Nathan tightened his arm around Elizabeth's shoulder. "But I wanted you to know, because when we're married, it will belong to you too."

Elizabeth said softly, "When we're married..."

After a pause, Nathan said, "What?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to say it." Elizabeth looked up at him. "Or... we could play a game. When we're married, we'll have our own house and a cow named Lizzie."

Nathan laughed. "When we're married, I will make you breakfast every Sunday and Allie and I will do the dishes."

"When we're married, you'll have a thousand horses and you'll know all their names," Elizabeth said.

Nathan said, "Hey! You stole that one from seven-year-old Nathan. You have to do another one."

"Okay." Elizabeth spoke very softly, "When we're married, I won't have to wave to you at the row houses anymore. We'll finish each day, and start each morning, together."

Nathan looked at her for a moment and then let the horses have the reins. They knew the way anyway. He turned and pulled the blanket up around them and kissed her, knowing that this was the greatest mystery of all. He didn't even have it in him to dream what it would be like to wake up to Elizabeth. The miracle was that she loved him and one day he would know.

The phrase came again to Elizabeth as they kissed. _Still waters run deep._ Nathan was remarkably complex and yet utterly guileless. He had shown her more of what went on in his mind and heart than she imagined he ever had with anyone, but still she had no idea how much of him was below the surface. All she could think as she melted into his arms was how she looked forward to spending the rest of her life finding out.

After a short time, breathless and sufficiently warm, Elizabeth shrugged the blanket off of her shoulders. "Sorry," she said, glad he couldn't see her blush. "That really wasn't fair of me."

Nathan looked at her and smiled. "I'm not sorry." He picked up the reins and looked out at the still-dark road. "I just don't think I can top that one." He leaned over and gave Elizabeth a quick peck on the cheek. "You win."

"I have one more, actually," Elizabeth said.

Nathan turned to her, wondering why she was looking a little sheepish. "Yes?"

"When we're married, you will share equally in my trust fund, which I found out about a couple of years ago from Julie. And it has..." Elizabeth leaned up and whispered a number into Nathan's ear.

"Holy cats!" Nathan said, turning sharply to look at her. Rebecca shushed him from the back of the wagon, and he said, "Sorry. Sorry, Mom."

Nathan laughed. "Oh, I'm definitely marrying well."

Elizabeth punched him lightly in the arm. "We're not married yet," she said, laughing too. "And I'm only telling you this now because you asked me for my hand when I might have been disowned and poor as a church mouse."

Putting his arm around her, Nathan said, "Elizabeth, I would live in a shack with you eating nothing but gruel. But," he said, turning serious, "Money is good for opportunities for the children. For school and giving them a start in life. For that, I'm grateful."

It was that time between night and sunrise when the edges of the mountains and the trees seem to glow faintly. They were just a few minutes from town, and Elizabeth could see some lights in the distance. She turned to the back of the wagon and said, "Sorry, Rebecca, but we should get him up now. He needs a little time to get oriented in the mornings."

"Wake up, sweet Jack," Rebecca whispered, taking the opportunity to kiss him on his velvety cheek. He turned his head and went right back to sleep. Rebecca laughed and said, "This may not be easy."

Elizabeth leaned down to Jack's ear and said, "Jack, do you want to see the horsies? Come to mama and Nathan, and let's see where they're taking us." Jack's little head came up sleepily at the word _horsies_, his eyes just halfway open. Elizabeth reached back and lifted him into the front of the wagon, wrapping him in the blanket.

Moment by moment, and yawning hugely, Jack began to come around. Of course, he wanted to sit on Nathan's lap, so Elizabeth handed him over. Nathan had Jack hold on to the reins along with him and whispered things into his ear that even Elizabeth couldn't hear.

Jack had his eyes fixed on the road ahead and the horses, and on Nathan's voice. Elizabeth reached up and put her hand on Nathan's collar right where the fringe of his dark hair lay on his neck, and Nathan put his arm out and drew her to him.

Now the light at the horizon was visible as the Easter sun began its travels up into the sky. In five minutes they would be in the garden behind the church, and in fifteen minutes, the sun would rise over the mountains in a ball of fire so bright that they would have to shade their eyes from its intensity.

From the pulpit, the Airdrie pastor spoke passionately:

_I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live!_

Elizabeth thought it was right today that she was here in this new place with Nathan and Rebecca and the children. It was time for a new life, and she couldn't wait for it to begin.

* * *

Rebecca had made enough food for an entire Mountie regiment; sweet glazed ham, herb roasted chicken, scalloped potatoes, roasted root vegetables and three different pies.

Charlie had started things while the rest were in church, and then Rebecca, Elizabeth and Allie took over. At one point, Elizabeth went out on the porch for a breath of fresh air and she found Nathan lying on the swing, sound asleep with Jack snoring happily on his chest.

Elizabeth had never seen Nathan fully asleep before, and she stood for a moment, gazing at him. The vulnerability of it touched her, as she listened to his soft breathing and watched the rise and fall of his chest.

She loved him so very much. There was no doubt in her mind that he was the man she would grow old with. _God willing._ That was an important caveat, but Elizabeth wasn't afraid anymore.

And where she had trouble sometimes imagining herself old with Jack, precisely _because_ she was always so afraid, she had no trouble at all seeing herself with Nathan; sitting on this porch as the sun set with children and grandchildren nearby, and being at peace.

* * *

Dinner was finished, dishes were done, and before they knew it, it was Sunday night.

Jack and Allie were asleep in their beds, and Charlie and Rebecca sat by the fire talking in their own companionable language, one they had cultivated for over a decade.

Elizabeth was in her favorite place on the porch swing, her head on Nathan's shoulder and his arm around her. He was pushing the swing in tiny revolutions that would lull her to sleep if she let them.

"When you get my letters, and I'll probably write every other day or so," Elizabeth said, "Will you read them here? I don't know why, but I like the idea of you being with me in this swing."

"I will. And if no one is planning to go into town, I'll go to get the mail and send mine." Nathan pulled her closer. "I miss you already, Elizabeth. I don't know if I'll last for three weeks, but I'll do my best."

"Where would you like me to read your letters?" She asked, looking up at him.

"I think on the dock where you were that day. I can see you there so easily. Imagine I'm just riding up to talk to you," Nathan said softly.

Elizabeth smiled. "Who knew you were such a romantic? The taciturn Mountie." Elizabeth laughed suddenly. "I just remembered Lee describing you, one of the first days you got here, when we thought the stage had been robbed?"

Nathan smiled. "We went out to Snake Run Canyon to see if we could figure out what happened to his payroll." Nodding, Nathan smiled, "I remember what he said." Nathan did a fairly good imitation of Lee saying, "You don't say much, do you?"

Elizabeth laughed. "And then you said, 'Not unless there's something to be said.'"

Nathan sighed. "Well, I couldn't very well tell him that I was nervous in the new posting, that it was pretty daunting to think about following Constable Jack Thornton in Hope Valley, and on my first day a stagecoach appeared to have been robbed." He looked down at Elizabeth. "I had a few things on my plate."

Elizabeth was laughing. "You can be excused for being a man of few words that day, and I'm sure Lee managed to fill the silences."

Now Nathan laughed. "Yes, he did."

They sat quietly for a time. Elizabeth finally said, sighing, "I don't want to, but I should get to bed. We have an early train in the morning."

Nathan sighed. "And Rosemary is picking you up at the station?"

"Yes, and I need to get a lesson plan together for Tuesday. I might just fall back on the lazy teacher plan," she said.

"Which is...?"

Elizabeth did her sunny teacher voice, "Class, we're going to write an essay about our Easter celebrations! Don't forget to write with your senses. What did you hear? What did you eat? Who was there?"

Nathan laughed. "That doesn't sound lazy. Don't you have to read and grade all those essays?"

"Yes, but you won't be there with me on Tuesday night. So it will be a welcome distraction."

Holding her tightly, Nathan said, "I'm having second thoughts. Should I come home with you?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "No. Though a part of me would love to say yes. Rebecca hasn't had you nearly as much as I have recently. She loves you so much, Nathan. Life is short. Be with her."

Nathan nodded, and then he said, "I grew up on this ranch. My whole life. You've been here a week, and when you're gone there will be something missing for me here."

"And I've loved Hope Valley, and there will be something missing for me there without you." She turned to face him. "That's love, Nathan. It's the price we pay. But it's worth it."

Nathan kissed her. Not the fiery kiss from earlier, but softly, tenderly. "I love you, Elizabeth. Write to me." He held her tightly. "Tell me what everyone is doing. Who's at Abigail's, what's going on at the saloon. Tell me about your rides with Allie and Jack, and what Rosemary's latest crisis is. Tell me about the new Mountie." He stopped and looked at Elizabeth. "Actually, only if he's fat and has gray hair. If he's young and dashing, I don't want to know."

Elizabeth smiled. "It doesn't matter. Do you remember when I told you that half the women in Hope Valley were in love with you? What did you say to me?"

"I'm taken."

Elizabeth held up her left hand and kissed the ring Nathan had given her. Then she put it to his lips and he kissed it.

"I love you, Nathan. And I'm completely taken."


	27. Chapter 27

Elizabeth had obviously not given enough thought to how she would keep her secret once she got to Hope Valley. And she realized that fact very quickly when Allie jumped off the train and ran to Rosemary and Lee waiting by the car.

"Uncle Nathan and Mrs. Thornton are getting married!"

_Ooops._

Rosemary squealed, "Elizabeth!"

Lee stepped in quickly to avert disaster and grabbed Jack out of Elizabeth's arms before Rosemary managed to squeeze her to within an inch of her life.

"And _where_ is the blushing bridegroom?" Rosemary said dramatically, peering back into the empty train.

Elizabeth laughed. She was so glad to be back in Hope Valley. There was nothing quite like it.

"He's staying in Airdrie for a few weeks more. His mother needs help on the ranch, and he still has the cast on his leg. He knows there's a temporary Mountie here..."

Rosemary's mouth formed into a perfect O. "Do _not_ get me started on _Acting_ Constable Stuart Covington," She shook her head vigorously. "That man would try the patience of a saint. The entire town will throw a _parade_ when Nathan comes back!"

Through all this, Lee and Allie had managed to get the bags in the car. Jack was already on Allie's lap in the back seat.

Lee took Rosemary's arm firmly. "Plenty of time for all the news, sweetheart. I need to get back to the sawmill."

Before getting into the driver's seat, Lee hugged Elizabeth warmly. "So happy for you and Nathan, Elizabeth. You make a wonderful family together, all of you. He's a good man."

"Thank you, Lee," Elizabeth said, catching her breath.

From there it was a freight train rolling downhill and Elizabeth simply had to hold on. She thought she might as well enjoy the ride.

She managed to convince Lee and Rosemary – and Allie – to stay quiet until she'd had the ring sized. There was no jeweler in Hope Valley, but amazingly, Kevin the blacksmith had acquired some tools and filled in the need nicely. Rosemary had asked him a number of times to work on her rings and necklaces.

It didn't surprise Elizabeth that Rosemary convinced Lee to stop off at the livery and to take the bags up to the row houses before he went back to work.

Kevin was able to get to the ring right away and while he worked, Elizabeth, Jack and Allie spent some time with Sergeant and Sarah. Of course this had to be done while simultaneously answering the rapid-fire questions that Rosemary was asking.

Elizabeth realized that one of the reasons she truly loved Rosemary was her infectious enthusiasm. It just wasn't possible to remain blasé about anything around her.

"So. Tell me everything. When did he propose, and where? How on _earth_ did he get down on one knee with his broken leg? Did you like his mother? What's the ranch like? Airdrie sounds like a lovely little town. Eight hours on a train, you must be _exhausted!"_

Elizabeth had only answered about half of Rosemary's questions when Kevin came out. He'd not only sized the ring perfectly, but he'd cleaned the gold and polished the diamonds. It sparkled now, causing the light from the windows to dance on the livery walls.

Rosemary held Elizabeth's hand and said, "Oh, Elizabeth, this is charming!"

Elizabeth looked at it with love in her eyes. "It belonged to Nathan's great-grandmother, and then to his mother." She pointed out the four diamonds in the shape of a square. "Nathan said these are for the two of us, and these two for Allie and Jack."

Rosemary was so overcome she had to pull a handkerchief from her purse. "I'm so happy for you, Elizabeth. We all love Nathan. And he so obviously loves you."

Elizabeth held her left hand up, turning it slightly to catch the light. She had spent the last few days with this ring on her first finger, and she realized that she'd been marking time in a way. She was absolutely sure about marrying Nathan, but a small part of her was still getting used to the idea of an engagement; trying it on for size.

Now that the ring was on the correct finger, everything fell into place. She felt a sense of peace, as if all was right with the world. The ring had found its home on the third finger of her left hand.

The surprising thing was, even after traveling all day, Elizabeth felt energized. She thought it might be because she was home again.

"Allie?" Elizabeth said, "Are you too tired to stop at Abigail's for a hot chocolate?" She looked at Rosemary. "Jack slept on the train, so he's wide awake. I was thinking a cup of tea would be nice."

Allie nodded briskly. It was a safe bet, because she loved hot chocolate, and Elizabeth knew it.

The truth was, Elizabeth wanted to soak in the town of Hope Valley again. To see the familiar faces of people whose stories she knew, and who knew hers. She could hold the time in Airdrie in her heart, but Hope Valley _had_ her heart.

"Yes! Tea," Rosemary said, taking Elizabeth's arm and starting to walk her to Abigail's. "We have so much to plan!"

"About that, Rosemary. We want to wait until Nathan gets here to decide on a date, and start thinking about what we want to do." Elizabeth put her hand on Rosemary's arm affectionately. "But when we do decide, we would be so grateful if you would help with the planning. Or whatever you would be willing to do."

"Whatever you need, Elizabeth," Rosemary said softly. "I really am so happy for you."

Jack reached out to Rosemary and she took him gladly. "And you, my sweet Jack. We _missed_ you!"

* * *

_April 9, 1917_

_To: Nathan Grant, General Delivery, Airdrie, Alberta_

_My dearest Nathan,_

_Well, I won't need that chain for around my neck after all. Even for Hope Valley, this has to be a record._

_I hadn't yet stepped down from the train when our Alliebeck ran across the platform to Rosemary announcing our engagement. And just in case Rosemary wasn't listening, I'm certain the whole train station heard her._

_It was actually very sweet, and now that the cat is out of the bag I can't say I'm at all unhappy about it._

_We stopped off at the livery and had Kevin size the ring (did you have any idea he did that sort of thing? I didn't!) and it now fits perfectly on the third finger of my left hand, right where it belongs._

_We all went for a cup of tea (hot chocolate for Allie) at Abigail's and I can't say I was unaware that Rosemary would act as mistress of ceremonies for our big news. What I hadn't counted on was the size of the audience._

_It started with Florence and Molly, as ever together. They had scarcely walked through the door of Abigail's before Rosemary actually took my hand off the table and raised it up, pointing excitedly at my ring. With the door still open, they screamed so loudly that they brought the rest of the town running._

_(Including our temporary Mountie. More on that later.)_

_Like your Infirmary stay, as news spread, folks wanted to come and shake hands with you and kiss me on the cheek. They were disappointed you weren't here, but said they'd complete the job when you arrive. Fair warning: If you shake as many hands as I got kisses on the cheek, you had better be well prepared, my love._

_Especially sweet was Clara. She had a talk with me a while back, and she reminded me of it. She had told me that love was out there, I just needed to open up to it. Since our situations were so similar, I took her advice to heart, and I told her so tonight. "You see?" was what she said joyfully before she hugged me._

_Carson and Faith made their way through the hordes of townspeople and were thrilled with our news. Carson asked how you were getting along on the crutches (!) and wondered if not being able to ride was difficult for you (!). I managed to stuff a cookie in my mouth at that very moment, which made it nearly impossible to speak. So I simply nodded and made nondescript "mm-mmm" noises until they were both carried off by the crowd. Note for the future: I am a terrible liar. I have no skill for it and am not interested in acquiring any. If I tell Carson the truth at some point in the next three weeks, I am sorry, but you mustn't be upset with me._

_You have universal approval on the ring, from both the men and women of Hope Valley. I told its story to Florence and Molly and they dabbed at their eyes and took turns hugging me until Hickam came over and rescued me._

_I was talking with Rosemary as we walked home about how pleased everyone seemed with the news. She told me that I am absolutely glowing (her word, and yes, I said thank you) and that in the face of my happiness, no one could be unhappy._

_I am very happy, Nathan. I suppose there is quite a lot of glowing going on as well._

_Some of Allie's friends also stopped by with their parents, and Charles Higgins, who can sometimes be far too direct, said to Allie, "Lucky you. Now you'll get A's on everything."_

_It bothered Allie and I talked with her at home about it tonight. I explained that the opposite might actually be true because I'll want to be sure I'm not giving her special treatment. I asked her to talk to me if she ever feels I'm being too hard on her, and that seemed to ease her mind. I also told her to let me know if any of the other children tease her about this because that is unacceptable behavior._

_Now, about the new Mountie. Let me start by giving you a direct quote from Rosemary: "That man would try the patience of a saint. The entire town will throw a parade when Nathan comes back!"_

_As I said, when Florence and Molly screamed, Acting Constable Stuart Covington came running. Not ready to save the damsels in distress, mind you, but fully prepared to give Molly and Florence a citation for disturbing the peace._

_So far, as I understand it, he's written up Lee, Rosemary and Henry for going over the speed limit in their cars, Lucas for numerous infractions pertaining to noise and alcohol, Ned Yost for blocking the sidewalk with delivery boxes, and though Rosemary said he'd scolded Fiona for the length of her skirt, I believe that was a joke on Rosemary's part. He also gave Bill a ticket for tethering his horse too loosely, and as local lore has it, Bill said, "I'm the Judge. Case dismissed!"_

_My own assessment is that Acting Constable Covington does seem to be a stick in the mud, and when he smiles it's not a happy smile. I'm not sure I like the way he has treated my friends and our friendly little town. And just to give you a visual reference, he's possibly two inches shorter than I am. I am sorry I missed our Bill standing over him with his gavel._

_I know this is all very uncharitable of me and I apologize. But I want to be sure you know that your heart is still safe with me, even with another red serge in town. Not only will I not be welcoming him to Hope Valley, I will give him a wide berth for fear of receiving a citation for 'walking while happy' or some such._

_Allie wouldn't let me rest tonight until we walked up to your house and watered the tree you planted in the backyard at Christmas. We all know why it's so important to her. I assume we can dig it up and move it to our future home, wherever we land?_

_You do have such lovely traditions in your family. And I feel such joy knowing that I might choose a charm for Allie's bracelet for next Christmas. I longed for that when we talked in the Mercantile. (Just in case you think it was only you who wasn't saying what you were thinking all that time)._

_Please give your mother a hug for me. I am writing her separately to express my gratitude not only for the stay at the ranch, but also for the warm and unconditional love she has shown me. She's a remarkable woman._

_Also Charlie. He is someone I would very much like to spend more time talking to. He shows depth and wisdom and I'm certain he has stories that should be written down, if only in my humble journal._

_Also, please say hello to Toby and Rio when you see them. They are good steady boys and Jack already misses them. I won't tell you which is my favorite so you won't be tempted to tell them._

_Can it be just this morning that I kissed you goodbye at the train station in Airdrie? When I close my eyes I can still feel you holding me, warm and solid. I'm not sure you know how hard it was to leave you._

_It taught me a lesson, though, which is always a good thing. Up to now, I've been the one who is being left, not the one who's leaving. This morning I had to hold my responsibilities and my duties against my incredibly strong desire to stay with you. I chose duty, and now I understand it all a little better._

_I imagine you reading this on the porch swing in two or three days' time. Perhaps at sunset. And I ache to be there with you._

_When you miss me, go to the pergola and ask me again. I'll still say yes and yes and yes and yes and yes._

_My love is with you, always,_

_Your Elizabeth_

_P.S. Jack wants very much to know where you are. I sat down with his book before bed and he kept looking around, saying, "in'tan, in'tan." I have been demoted. Not sure how I feel about that. Yes, I am sure. I love how he loves you._

_P.S.S. Did I say I love you? I do._

_ETT_


	28. Chapter 28

The first day back at school was hard, and not just for Allie. As Elizabeth sat at the front of the classroom while her students wrote in their workbooks, her mind wandered to the pergola, the porch swing, the feeling of harvesting the abundance of the vegetable garden, laughing with Rebecca while they cooked, riding Toby with the wind in her hair... and Nathan. Always Nathan.

Elizabeth sighed and looked at Allie, who was looking at her. They both smiled with no need for words, because they were both in the same place. In Airdrie in the spring.

As Elizabeth sat in front of the class, she was reading a reference book on adoptions. She had found what she was looking for. Once she and Nathan were married, an adoption would be left entirely up to judicial discretion. In other words, Bill Avery would decide whether Nathan and Elizabeth would be deemed "fit and proper" parents to Allie. Elizabeth smiled to herself. _It's always good to know the Judge._

After school, they picked up Jack and went for a ride with Sarah and Sergeant before dinner. Elizabeth would go slow with Jack, though she could occasionally hold him tightly through a short trot. She had learned what Rebecca had called the Horsey Song while she was in Airdrie, and as Jack bounced lightly in the saddle, Elizabeth would sing to him, _He's a rootin' tootin' high-falutin' son-of-a-gun from Arizona_... but instead of Ragtime Cowboy Joe, she would end with _Ragtime Cowboy Jack_ and he would laugh and laugh.

Thinking of Rebecca was connected to the fact that she had once been Elizabeth's age and that Nathan had once been Jack's. It reminded Elizabeth of the continuum of life, the unchangeable fact that Jack would be a man someday and that these days were so inexpressibly precious with him. And with Allie.

Allie and Elizabeth's relationship had changed since they'd been in Airdrie, in good ways. Elizabeth already loved Allie and had such admiration for her resilience, her intelligence, and her ways of coping with a life that had been less than ideal. But hearing her lay out her case for adoption at the pergola that day had let Elizabeth see how adult Allie had become.

She saw Allie more as a young woman, and they could talk about anything without self-consciousness. And Allie was opening up to her more and more. Elizabeth didn't have to answer with "It's complicated" anymore. She and Nathan were getting married, and that gave Allie the confidence to open her heart fully to Elizabeth.

They finished their ride and stopped off at the Mercantile for a few things and then it was on to dinner. It was only their second night without Nathan, but they were quickly finding a routine.

After they ate, while Elizabeth drew pictures with Jack, Allie read aloud from _Jane Eyre_ at the table.

_"I've a strange feeling with regard to you, as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly knotted to a similar string in you. And if you were to leave, I'm afraid that cord of communion would snap. And I have a notion that I'd take to bleeding inwardly."_

Allie stopped and said, "Is that how you feel? When you're away from Uncle Nathan?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Well, authors dramatize things, and use metaphors like that string and bleeding inwardly, that are heightened. But yes, the spirit of it is true."

"So, you're... connected? Like Jane and Mr. Rochester?" Allie asked.

"We are, Allie. It's what you feel when you fall in love," Elizabeth said.

"Hmm," Allie said softly. Elizabeth looked at her tenderly. She loved that little noise that Allie made when an idea landed in her head and took root. She loved Allie's mind, her curiosity, and her need to understand the people and the world around her.

"I miss him too," Allie said, her face open. "He's different since he's been with you. I can't explain it, but it's like he cares more for me, too."

Elizabeth smiled. "That's the wonderful thing about opening your heart. It's like a door. You can't really just open it to one person, it opens you up to everyone. I know he always loved you this way, Allie, it's just that now he shows it more."

"He loved Sarah a lot," Allie said. She had taken, lately, to calling her mother by her first name. Elizabeth understood why. Unfortunately, Allie never had the time to make a connection with Sarah, so she was a sort of intangible idea to her. And as time was passing, Elizabeth knew that the concept of mother was belonging more to her. It was an honor and a privilege that Elizabeth didn't take lightly.

"He did love Sarah, Allie," Elizabeth said. "I don't think we can fully understand how close twins are, and how sad he was when she wasn't there anymore."

"But he talks to her. He told me he does." Allie looked at the table of photos behind her. "And you talk to him? Jack's father?"

"I do," Elizabeth said, taking her hand across the table. "People never really leave us. Because we have memories. We can still hear them, and see their faces in our minds."

Allie frowned. "But that's the thing. I don't have that with Sarah. Grandma and Uncle Nathan and Charlie remember her and tell me stories, but all I have are some pictures."

Elizabeth said, "And how does that make you feel, Allie? When they tell you stories?"

Allie frowned. "A little sad that I didn't know her, but mostly just strange that I don't feel very much. Is that wrong? That I don't feel anything?"

Elizabeth smiled and squeezed her hand. "No. Not at all. No one who loves you would ever say that was wrong."

Allie looked down at the tablecloth and smoothed a wrinkle there. "So..."

Frowning, Elizabeth said, "What is it, Allie?"

"Sometime, soon, I hope, you'll be my mother..." Allie still couldn't look up.

"Yes," Elizabeth said, leaning down and trying to meet Allie's eyes.

"And... mothers love their daughters..."

Elizabeth said, "Allie. Look at me, please."

Allie looked up. Elizabeth couldn't leave Jack at the table, so she motioned for Allie to come around to her, and then she folded her into a hug.

"I love you already, Allie. Very much. You're so easy to love, sweetheart."

Allie took a deep breath and said softly into Elizabeth's shoulder, "I love you, too."

* * *

_April 9, 1917_

_To: Elizabeth Thornton, General Delivery, Hope Valley, Alberta_

_Darling Elizabeth,_

_I was just thinking that we're probably writing letters at the same time. Me in my boyhood bedroom here in Airdrie and you at the kitchen table in your row house in Hope Valley._

_You feel very far away, but you're also right here with me._

_I have a confession. I have loved books and writing and stories my whole life (that's not the confession, that's the preamble to the confession). But because I've read the best authors since Plato and Euripides, I'm naturally very self-critical and I tend to cross things out and ball up pieces of paper and try over and over to get it just right (That was the confession)._

_I have promised myself not to do that with you. As long as I tell the truth, I shouldn't need to censor myself. And because you love me, you will love anything I say as long as I say it honestly._

_So I may ramble (and use too many parentheses), I may go off on tangents. It's my version of stuttering prose, if you will. I'll hope you find it as charming as my actual stuttering._

_(If you don't, I can always revert to my seven-year-old style of naming a thousand horses.)_

_Here's a tangent: I've loved you for a long time, but it's only since we admitted it to each other that I've been able to take that tendril of escaping hair and tuck it behind your ear, or put my arm around you, or hold you and feel our hearts stop pounding and our breathing go quiet together, or best of all, lose myself in the warmth of one of your kisses. Missing you when I couldn't have you was an abstract concept. Now I know exactly what I'm missing._

_(Note: The entire paragraph above would have been crossed out, rewritten, crossed out again, and this page would be balled up on the floor, having missed the trash basket in my frustration to express myself adequately. Be proud of me that I'm still toiling away here and haven't started over.)_

_You've had a long train ride today. Allie is likely asleep, warm and safe in her little rollaway bed upstairs. Jack is snoring softly in his crib. I would give a lot right now to be able to kiss Allie goodnight, and put my hand on that little boy's warm back while he sleeps; feeling the rise and fall of his breath is one of life's great pleasures._

_You're probably writing by the candle, because you prefer that to the harsh light from the wall fixture. I think it soothes and focuses you to have that small pool of light on the paper._

_Every now and then, if you have trouble thinking of just the right phrase, you will dip the lead of the pencil into the melted wax, and then burn it off in the flame so you can write with it again._

_If you write in pen, you'll have two small circles of ink, one on your forefinger and one on your thumb, and if you're thinking very hard, a spot of ink can make its way from your thumb to your chin as you rest your head there._

_Did you know that when you get an idea that you love, you blink your eyes a little faster as you write, almost as if you're propelling the words from your mind onto the page?_

_I see it all. Every night. Your house or mine, it doesn't matter. You write. I wish I had an ounce of your passion and talent for writing._

_But the blessing of this short separation is that now you will be writing to me. Your heart to mine on the page. It's not like a conversation, precious as they are with us. It's as permanent as ink and paper can be, and can be read and re-read, like books._

_I think Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett may have had something there._

_(Okay, you're inspiring me. I seem to have lost my stutter. The above wasn't too bad.)_

_The ranch house is very quiet tonight, and the irony is that now I'm the third wheel. Mom and Charlie are in the living room by the fire and I've come to my bedroom to give them some privacy._

_Mom said something at dinner about how quiet it was now without Allie and Jack. "There should be children in this house." It was one of those moments when Charlie didn't care what I knew or thought I knew, and he put his hand over Mom's and just held it there._

_It's good for me to see them this way, because as I told you, it makes it much easier for me to leave the ranch again, knowing Mom isn't alone._

_My father used to call me the man of the house when he would go away. He'd tell me to take care of my mother and my sister. When you hear that at ten years old, it sinks in that it might be your job, and it's hard to let go._

_You know that house we're going to build? I'd like to put another house out back, just in case. In case my mother ever decides that she needs family more than this ranch. For now it's a good life for her. But someday, it will be too much._

_But we'll make those decisions together, Elizabeth. Your head is about as level as they get. I trust your intelligence and your judgement, and your common sense and compassion are astonishing._

_I told you my mother already loves you, and that may sound like lip service, but it's as true as it can be. She fell in love with you the same way I did. Fast and absolutely. She's been talking about you and Jack and Allie all day._

_Allie. Wow. I've watched her with you and my heart gets tight in my chest. She's hungry for a mother, always has been, and no matter what I've done for her, I could never be that. That family meeting at the pergola was a revelation to me. She's closer to being a woman than a child, and I was quickly becoming out of my depth. You arrived just in time, as usual, my angel Elizabeth._

_Tangent #2: I didn't think I would, but I miss my uniform. I haven't been out of it for nine years. That red serge becomes not only a symbol for others to find you when they're in trouble, but I miss the formality of it (the Sam Browne belt, the cross strap, striped jodhpurs, boots, hat, the sidearm). It's a little like a suit of armor._

_Speaking of which, you will recall that in our field of flowers (Yes, it is ours. We raced there, you found me there when I was lost, and you saved my life there by keeping me warm. It is absolutely our field. I may need to put up a wooden plaque), I was forced to cut away my boot and my jodhpurs, not to mention my poor hat which got buried under a thousand pounds of horse flesh. I have ordered replacements from Headquarters, and they're being delivered to you, care of the Mercantile._

_Now is your chance to try them all on and see what it feels like to wear the Mountie suit of armor. I know you want to._

_You are a warrior, Elizabeth. So strong in the face of grief and adversity, but still you've kept your kindness and your joy for life. You're a lesson for me and for everyone who knows you. Every day._

_Here's a secret, I have two extra red serge tunics in my closet at home. They will be far too big for you, but you'll get the idea. It's completely against regulations, but I'll never know, and I'll never ask. (Maybe when we're really old, I'll ask, but you still won't have to tell me.)_

_I love you. So much. I miss you. I called you my guardian angel once and you are my angel, Elizabeth. I'm so grateful for you in my life. I can't wait to see what forever brings with you._

_If this doesn't get any easier, I'll just come home to you and avoid the Mountie office and sneak Bear out to ride._

_Sleep well, my angel. Come and meet me in my dreams tonight._

_All my love,_

_Nathan_


	29. Chapter 29

"Elizabeth!"

Fiona was calling from the door of the Mercantile. When Elizabeth was in doing her shopping, Fiona had been on the phone.

"I have something for you," Fiona said, with a mysterious tone in her voice. "And I think you're going to like it very much."

Intrigued, Elizabeth walked back, holding Jack's hand. Jack wanted to _walk_, and no matter how long it took, he was going to do it himself.

Elizabeth laughed, calling out to Fiona from down the sidewalk, "We're getting there..." Fiona laughed too. Jack was growing so fast. Everyone in town felt like he was getting bigger right before their eyes.

Finally at the door, Jack let Fiona pick him up and give him snuggles, kissing him on the neck. "Come on back," she said to Elizabeth. They went to the operator's station and Fiona reached into a drawer and pulled out a large envelope.

"I got these back today." She reached in and handed Elizabeth a photograph.

"Oh, Fiona," Elizabeth said, her voice breaking.

It was the photo Fiona had taken of them when Nathan was in the Infirmary. Allie on one side, Elizabeth on the other, and Nathan in the middle on the bed with Jack in his lap. Jack was holding up his wooden Mountie proudly. All of them were smiling, and the happiness they felt in being together practically jumped out of the picture.

Fiona put her arm around Elizabeth. "You are the sweetest little family," she said. "This one is going front and center for our Founder's Day photo display."

Elizabeth was suddenly gripped with missing Nathan so completely that her eyes filled. Until this moment, she'd had no pictures of him. What she held in her hands was more precious than gold.

And then, her kindness took over, as it always did. "I'm going to send this to Nathan," she said softly. "In my next letter. He'll love seeing it."

Fiona could see the sadness in Elizabeth's eyes at the prospect of letting it go. She smiled and sighed. Founder's Day was still more than a month away. Fiona reached back into the envelope and pulled out a copy for Elizabeth. "I can get another one developed for the display, we have time."

Elizabeth threw her arms around Fiona and hugged her tightly. "Thank you!" She looked at the photo again and leaned down to Jack where he was pushing Fiona's chair on wheels around the room.

"Jack, look!" Jack stopped and looked at the photo. He reached out to take it in his hands, and Elizabeth said, "No, just look, please. We don't want our fingers on it." She pointed to him in the middle and said, "Who's that, Jack?" Jack put his hand on his own chest. "That's right!" Elizabeth said, "That's _you!"_ Then Jack pointed to the Mountie and then to Nathan. He was getting better at saying his name. "Natan," then, "Mama," and finally, "Lee," for Allie.

Fiona melted. "Oh, Elizabeth. How do you live with that cuteness day after day? Little Jack is just the bee's knees."

"Yes, he is," Elizabeth said, kissing his cheek. She stood up, still looking at the photo. "Fiona, if I wanted a picture frame, would I have to order it, or do you have any here?"

"Well, I do have some that I ordered, _for Founder's Day,"_ she said, laughing, "But I can get another one of these, too." She reached around to a cupboard and handed Elizabeth a lovely wooden frame, just the right size. "This is the one I was going to put your photo in. I think it goes well, don't you?"

"It's _perfect,"_ Elizabeth said. Fiona opened the back of the frame, put the picture inside, and clipped it together again. Elizabeth knew exactly where she would put it.

She hugged Fiona, thanked her again and started out the door. It had been four days since she'd last seen Nathan, and she could hardly keep herself from looking at the photo again. But she would save it and look at it at home.

"Hold on, Elizabeth," Ned said. "I just got the mail sorted." Ned thought this was the best part of his job. Making people happy with letters from loved ones.

Elizabeth turned. Ned was holding up a letter with the return address: _N. Grant, Airdrie, Alberta._

As Elizabeth ran toward him, Ned grinned. The other great part of this job. Sometimes, he even got hugs.

* * *

_April 12, 1917_

_To: Nathan Grant, General Delivery, Airdrie, Alberta_

_My dearest Nathan,_

_As I'm sure you have realized, you are holding the photo that Fiona took of all of us in the Infirmary. In a matter of five minutes, Fiona gave me this photo and Ned gave me your letter of the 9th._

_I can't describe how utterly blessed I felt. Rich beyond measure._

_The photo in your hands is a copy. I have my own in a frame on the table next to the stairs. I would be embarrassed to tell you how many times I've picked it up and looked at it already._

_Jack and I took your letter, unopened, out to the dock as you asked. I think he knew it was from you, because he played quietly and allowed me time to enjoy every last word of it. Twice. As you suggested, I felt that you had ridden up on Bear and were simply talking to me. While I read, I had our family picture sitting up on the wood stump where you found my book that first day, and I'll admit to glancing at it often._

_Allie is at Hattie's house tonight. They're having a sleepover and are making cupcakes, so Jack and I are on our own. I'll miss her tonight, but my heart is happy that she has so completely embraced life in Hope Valley and has such an abundance of friends. She is often the ringleader of their little circus, but she does it with grace and humor and doesn't seem to engender jealousy in the other girls. It's a rare set of qualities to find in one so young._

_Still on the subject of Allie, she was reading "Jane Eyre" to me the other night and one question led to another, until finally she asked in a sweet, shy and roundabout way if I loved her. I immediately told her the truth, that yes, I do love her, very much, and that she is very easy to love. Then she said she loved me too, which I believe was what she was longing to get to all along. I really was overwhelmed. And so grateful._

_Thank you, Nathan, for bringing this beautiful girl into my life. I have had tender feelings for her from the moment I met her out there on the street holding up the fish she'd caught. Even if she did say that I was "a bit bossy and smelled like chalk." The fact that she hadn't met me yet eases the sting of that comment considerably. She's come so far, but she would never be who she is today without the love and care you have shown her._

_In other news, I had a knock on the door yesterday and as I opened it, for a split-second all I could see was a solid field of red. My heart leapt as I slowly opened the door to see it was indeed red serge. And then it fell when I saw the owner of the tunic and realized it was not you, but instead was Acting Constable Stuart Covington._

_I hope I can shorten up this story, because it took him quite a while to get around to the point of it. You may think I was exceedingly impolite, but I did not ask him in. He stood on the doorstep like an uninvited Bible salesman cooling his heels for the better part of twenty minutes._

_It seems that he has discovered who my parents are. He finds our little town much too provincial for his tastes (and his talents, according to his own assessment) and wishes to be transferred to a big city. His preference is Calgary or Edmonton, but he said that Hamilton will do in a pinch. The nerve of the man!_

_So he was asking me to contact my father, posthaste, to request that he pull some strings and get him a position in Hamilton. Considering, as I told you, that Constable Jack Thornton was only posted to Coal Valley because my father pulled some strings, and Jack was very unhappy about it, the irony of the entire circular debacle struck me as ridiculously funny and I began to laugh._

_Not just laugh, I was rendered unable to speak. Constable Covington was, needless to say, not amused. I never even managed to turn him down before he spun on his heel, saying, "Well, I never!" and stormed down the road._

_I'm wondering what type of citation I will receive for this sort of transgression. Excessive mirth and reprehensible disrespect of a Mountie? Maybe you can help me understand the rules and regulations, Constable Grant._

_Regarding your wonderful, gloriously lengthy letter, all I can say is; much more of the same, please. As I read, it was speaking in your voice, so true to your nature that you could have been reading it to me over my shoulder._

_You are far too hard on yourself. You're writing to a person who reads for her work, for her pleasure, and as a hobby, so I know whereof I speak; and you have a way with a phrase that makes me smile, laugh, and touches my heart, sometimes all at once. So no more false modesty. Whether you know it or not, you are a writer too._

_To your tangent #1, I will only say that I am in complete agreement. It was much easier to be away from you before I knew all the joys our closeness would bring. I very much miss all the things you described (especially the hugs and kisses, and that tendril of escaped hair seems to be consistently out of place and needs your attention). Your lovely list made me blush and then it made me miss you more._

_Your observations of me as I write bring something to mind. When we love someone, even their smallest act has a depth of meaning: for me, it's the way you put your arm all the way under Bear's neck to hug him, your fondness for resting your hand on Jack's back, the way you laugh at Allie's jokes even when they aren't funny (and she does the same with you, by the way)._

_The keen observation that we exhibit with each other is love, I think. So as you described me in the act of writing in such detail and so very accurately, all I could read was love love love love love love love._

_Thank you for loving me so well._

_And we don't even need to discuss the idea of a house behind ours for Rebecca. It's a wonderful idea. I'd be surprised if she would be ready to leave the ranch while Charlie is still there, but were she to lose him, it would be nice if we had a place already built for her to land into softly._

_How to respond to your Tangent #2? I will dutifully collect your new hat, boots and jodhpurs from the Mercantile. I will deliver them to your row house. What happens after that will be for me to know and for you to find out. But should you notice that there is the slightest suggestion of my perfume on the collar of your red serge, you mustn't draw conclusions. As you have been fond of saying, it's probably only a coincidence._

_And here's my own tangent: I do find that I like it very much when you call me angel. It makes me close my eyes and take a suddenly-needed breath. You may continue to call me that whenever it suits you._

_Jack wants me to tell you that he's still not used to your absence. He clutches his little Mountie, looks up at me and says your name. Yes, it's becoming more clear. He's found the A in Nathan, but is still struggling in his search for the H, so it comes out "Natan." His name for Allie is "Lee." I am, as ever, "Mama." He is growing so fast._

_Rosemary wants me to be sure to send her love, as do Fiona, and Clara. Well, actually, everyone. As I walk around town, they tell me stories about the things you've done for them, how you open doors and tip your hat, and especially how you make them feel safe as you make your rounds in your red serge. We were without a Mountie for quite a while before you came to Hope Valley and your close call has made them appreciate even more how much you mean to this town._

_I will add to that, how much you mean to me. As I walk through the town they will ask about you, and then ask to look at my ring again, then beg me to tell the story of the four diamonds just so they can see my face as I tell it. The immeasurable gratitude I feel for how this town embraced me in my sadness is only surpassed by how they are lifted by my current happiness._

_Carson wanted me to be sure to tell you, "Just one more week on those crutches!" and it can come none too soon for me. Lucas wants his gin rummy partner back, and Ned Yost is willing to take another try at the Italian lessons. And I believe what Rosemary said is true: The town will throw a parade when you come home. It will happen one minute after Acting Constable Covington is put on the stagecoach out of town._

_I miss you and Airdrie very much, but it gives me such pleasure to be back in the classroom. Teaching does feel like my destiny. Another Emerson favorite: "Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." I made this decision to be a teacher long ago, but I could never have imagined what the universe would serve up. I look at Allie, Robert, Opal, Rachel, Hattie, all of them... and every day they show me how to be a better teacher. These wonderful children are the future, and that is limitless._

_It's beyond my ability to explain my experience, but it's a profound thing for me to have found my true calling after so much uncertainty about it in my youth. So many never do find their true path in life, or even if they do, they aren't able to practice it because of a lack of opportunity or finances or circumstances. Every day I am allowed to do what I deeply love to do, and that is a sort of miracle._

_I will gladly take you up on your request to meet you in your dreams. That's a lovely idea. Shall we meet on the bench at the pergola? Midnight sharp. Don't be late, please. I miss you so much._

_And since we've had our minds on Elizabeth Barrett:_

_"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach..." Now that is a writer! And she writes my feelings so much better than I could._

_Is this just wishful thinking, or did I sense that three weeks might be too long for you? I must admit that as that amount of time stretches out in front of me, eight hours on a train doesn't seem so long in comparison. But it means a day off school if I were to come visit, and the only substitute teachers we have are Rosemary and Florence. Rosemary tends to teach them about her theatrical exploits and scrimps on mathematics. Florence spends her days with the students in a terrified state and looking as if the ceiling is going to drop on her any moment._

_No, it doesn't make sense for me to travel eight hours there at the weekend, spend a few hours with you and then come back eight hours. I just need to buck up and remember how many women are separated from their men for much longer than a silly little three weeks. I will be a big grown up girl._

_And then, when you come home for good, we'll begin our planning. Rosemary is on call for whatever we need, and I told her I would let her know when we decide on a date._

_For some reason, June 23, a Saturday, keeps popping in my head. It's the middle of the summer and there are short days at school. We could have the wedding at the pergola on that date, and then travel to Hope Valley on Sunday. Our celebration here could be Monday the 25th. That would mean that in exactly seventy-one days we will begin our journey as husband and wife._

_I do like the sound of that._

_I love you, future husband. You are dearer to me than you could possibly know._

_With kisses from your angel and future wife,_

_Elizabeth_


	30. Chapter 30

Rosemary was just finishing up her shopping when Ned put a letter in front of her. "Just came in," he said, raising an eyebrow. Ned tried not to be a busybody, but this was definitely unusual.

Having every day for the last week given Elizabeth a letter from Airdrie, Alberta, with this very same handwriting, Ned's curiosity was more than piqued.

Rosemary frowned. There was no name in the return address, but she had no doubt who the letter was from.

"Oh, my," she said, looking up at Ned. "I... I can't imagine... " She got a look of resolve on her face and said, "Well, there's only one way to find out!"

The truth was, she thought it would be good to clear this up once and for all right now so that tongues wouldn't start wagging. Already, Florence was leaning toward them from the operator's station.

Rosemary started reading, making little sounds of comprehension as she did so.

* * *

_April 15, 1917_

_To: Mrs. Rosemary Coulter, General Delivery, Hope Valley, Alberta_

_Dear Rosemary,_

_Firstly, I want to thank you for being such a good friend to Elizabeth. She talks of you often in her letters, and you are a comfort to her in many ways. Your enthusiasm at the announcement of our engagement has given her great joy._

_I'm sure she has told you that I expect to be here in Airdrie for another two weeks, but it's becoming clear to me that I won't last that long. I miss Elizabeth, Allie, and Jack terribly and am anxious to get back home in order to share in the celebration of our happy news._

_In addition, the work I needed to do here on the ranch has been accomplished much faster than I anticipated and my mother is pleased with the results, so I am free to travel back to Hope Valley at my earliest convenience._

_You may wonder why I am writing to tell you this rather than to Elizabeth. I would like to surprise her, and you were the only person I could imagine as my accomplice in that aim._

_By way of a little background (and I will trust this isn't too much detail, as Elizabeth has shared that you have enjoyed hearing of the progress of our relationship), Elizabeth and I have a place in Hope Valley that is special to us. It is the dock at the pond._

_She may have told you that she goes there to read my letters, and I encourage her to imagine that I am riding up on Bear, as I did one day a while ago when she was there with Jack._

_With my next letter, which I will post tomorrow and which should arrive in Hope Valley on Thursday, I would like to do just that. I will ask her at the end of the letter to look up, and I will be there._

At this point in the letter, Rosemary was so overcome, and so vocal about it, that Ned's eyes went wide and he got her a handkerchief. Florence stepped out of her station, looking alarmed. Rosemary fluttered her hand in the air to let them know she was fine, but was unable to tear her eyes from the page in front of her.

_I know that you will keep all this in confidence, and it will require some logistical assistance. Of course you may confide in Lee. I would never ask you to keep something from him._

_The less I am seen around town, the better. If there is any way you could fetch me at the train station in your car, that would be greatly appreciated. Also, if Bear could be saddled and ready at my row house on Thursday afternoon, I can just ride out and be nearby when Elizabeth arrives at the dock with my letter._

_I do realize how much I'm asking of you, and would understand completely if you're unable to fulfill these requests. If I arrive at the station and you're not there, I will proceed on my own to get Bear and hope for the best. I would not blame you in the slightest if you are unavailable or if this is too much to ask._

_You may be pleased to know that my injury has healed to a degree that I will be able to take up my duties very quickly upon my arrival in Hope Valley. I understand that my temporary replacement has caused a bit of a stir in town and that you may not be sorry to see him depart._

_I look forward to seeing you and Lee again, whether it be at the train station or after. Thank you for your consideration of these requests._

_Your humble servant,_

_Nathan Grant_

Now the handkerchief did get some use, as Rosemary dabbed her eyes and sniffled rather dramatically. As she looked up and saw Ned and Florence staring at her in curiosity, she realized she might need to employ some fancy footwork to comply with Nathan's request for confidentiality.

To gain some time, Rosemary blew her nose daintily. "It's a letter from Nathan, of course." Her mind was racing.

"And he... he wanted to let me know... that he... wishes to talk to me about... the _dress_... that Elizabeth will be wearing for their wedding... which of course, I am designing."

Rosemary looked closely at Ned and Florence, trying to determine how all that was being perceived. Both were nodding in understanding, but still more than a little confused.

Florence spoke first. "And he needed to write that to you because..."

_"Because,"_ Rosemary said, forcefully, "He is with his mother right now and she has some _very_ strong opinions!"

Ned said, frowning, "About Elizabeth's dress."

"Yes!" Rosemary said, hoping that at some point in the future, Mrs. Grant would forgive her. "She's the type of person who likes to control these types of things, you know," she said conspiratorially. And then she threw her hands up and said, "Mothers-in-law! They are a trial, aren't they!"

Tilting her head suspiciously, Florence said, "And why did that make you cry?"

Affecting a deeply sympathetic look, Rosemary said, "Oh, because it makes me so _sad_ for Elizabeth," she said, dabbing at her eyes again. "Poor girl, no say in her own wedding dress!"

All three just looked at each other for a moment and then Rosemary said, "Of course, I would appreciate it if you would keep all of this information confidential. I really shouldn't have shared it." She looked directly at Florence. "And if I were to hear that people were talking disparagingly about Mrs. Grant, there would be only one place they could have heard it." She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Since she lives so far away and no one in Hope Valley has met her." Rosemary took a deep breath. "Yet."

Ned and Florence both knew this was not the whole story. But Rosemary had effectively thrown them off the trail.

"Well, I must be off!" Rosemary said suddenly. She handed the used handkerchief back to Ned and said brightly, "Have a lovely day!"

The bell rang over the door and she was gone.

* * *

_April 15, 1917_

_To: Nathan Grant, General Delivery, Airdrie, Alberta_

_My dearest Nathan,_

_It's been a week since we sat in that lovely churchyard and watched the sun rise over the mountains in Airdrie. I realize that the time with you there takes on a bit of the quality of a dream as the days go by, and without you here to remind me I almost wonder if it happened at all._

_I do have a sweet reminder, however, and it sits in plain view on my left hand. Whenever I fear that I only imagined it all, I just look down and know that it's real._

_I also have your letters, which are incalculably precious to me. I'm certain you know that since that first one, which arrived three days after I returned to Hope Valley, neither you nor I have missed a day of writing. I know I said I would write every few days, but that's been impossible for me. I've wanted to talk to you every day, and I'm so glad it's been the same for you._

_I love all your news of the ranch, and your mother, and Charlie. Please, as always, give them my love._

_And though I'm sorry that you've had to make so many of those long trips to town to pick up and post the mail, I'm happy that you and your dear Sunset have had that time to get reacquainted. Indeed, the distance to Airdrie is shortened with a good run, though in the same breath, I also hope you're caring for your injured leg._

_I've been thinking about the title of my novel : "A Single Mother On The Frontier." That will have to change, won't it? The frontier hasn't changed, and I am still a mother. But someday in the near future, I won't be single._

_I thought I might get some editing done in advance, and I sat down late last night to work through how those changes could be accomplished. What I discovered was a bit of a revelation._

_As I started thumbing through the pages I've written, I kept turning them, realizing that no changes were needed. Maybe a word here or there, describing being alone, but none of the overriding concepts, the things that are most important to me about the story, will need altering._

_Slowly, I came to the understanding that the writer, the mother, and the woman I am when I'm married to you will be nearly identical to the one I am now. And the reason is this: you've never asked me to be more or less than I am._

_You've never wanted me to change. In fact, you have inspired the writer, encouraged the mother, and loved the woman just as she is. It tells me again what an extraordinary man you are, and what a good choice I've made for a husband._

_I have heard other women talk about how their husbands-to-be have told them they will no longer need to work after they're married. Or that their daily tasks of motherhood, laundry, getting dinner on the table, etc. would preclude them having the "distractions" of an avocation like writing. I know at times I get stretched a bit thin, but you have always stepped in and made dinner, done the dishes, and helped Allie with her homework. You not only read stories to Jack and put him to bed, you treasure those times with him._

_I've puzzled through why this is, beyond your natural tendency to treat everyone you meet, regardless of gender, as a fully-formed human being with talents, dreams and aspirations. I think the answer is Allie. You have been father and mother to her, and I mean that statement in the best of ways. You've had to manage laundry and cleaning and making sure not only that you earned the money to put food on the table, but that you actually placed it there for her to eat._

_How very lucky I am to have found you. You are the yin to my yang, my darling Nathan, which is not about you completing me, but about the balance of completeness between us. I see it in the best marriages. Rosemary and Lee come to mind. They celebrate each other rather than trying to mold the other into something they're not._

_And oh my goodness, how is that for a tangent? Phew! I hope you're still reading, my love. I'll climb down off my soapbox now. The short version of all of the above?_

_I love you. _

_Well, it's late, and the last of the essays beside me will not grade themselves, unfortunately. I love that we are a week closer to seeing each other. I can't express how much I want to put my arms around you, listen to your heart beat and just breathe. That simple act with you gives me a calm and peaceful sense of rightness, of being where I should be._

_The clock says nearly 11:30, and I wonder if you are already asleep and dreaming. If you are, wait for me. I'm on my way._

_With all my love, from your angel,_

_Elizabeth_


	31. Chapter 31

Nathan hugged Rebecca at the Airdrie station, and shook hands with Charlie. "I'll write you tonight, Mom, to let you know all is well."

Rebecca handed him a large cloth bag. "There's bread in here, the sourdough one Elizabeth likes so much. She has the recipe now, but... well, I just wanted to make it for her. And cookies for Allie, the sugar ones she loves. And a toy for Jack, and some of that applesauce we made together."

Rebecca faltered a little, and Nathan put his arms around her. "Mom," he said softly, "You're good to do all this."

"Well, I wanted to," she said, taking a deep shuddering breath. Then she shook her head and exhaled. "How did I fall in love with all of you so fast? That week was just heaven, Nathan."

He smiled at his mother and said, "Good. Maybe you'll come visit Hope Valley." Looking at Charlie, he said firmly, "Both of you."

Rebecca put her chin up. "Maybe we will." She sniffled and said, "I should know where you're living anyway. Now that you seem to have planted yourself somewhere."

"I'm planted, Mom. Well and truly," he said. "I told you, we're going to try to get the house built before winter."

Rebecca threw her arms around him and gave him a bone-crushing hug. "I couldn't be happier, Nathan."

Nathan held her tightly. "I love you, Mom. Thanks again for welcoming Elizabeth and Jack the way you have. It means a lot to me."

Rebecca took his face in her hands. "It's easy, Nathan. I love them too."

Taking a deep breath, Nathan said, "Okay, so I'll get this all worked out with Elizabeth and Allie, but the plan is that we'll come here for the wedding a couple of days before June 23rd." He smiled at Rebecca. "Elizabeth doesn't know yet that the 23rd is your birthday. She'll like that she chose that date." He rolled his eyes just a little. "You two both believe in signs."

Rebecca grinned at him. "And you're starting to. I can tell. From skeptic to believer. Amazing."

"Can you talk with Pastor Grady about performing the ceremony? Very simple and not too long. We'll write to him once we decide on some scripture passages and our vows."

"We'll get it all set up. We're going to stop in and see him before we leave town," Rebecca said.

The whistle blew and Nathan said, "Gotta go, Mom."

This time, he hugged Charlie and said, "Thanks for taking such good care of her, Charlie."

Charlie gave him a big smile and said, "It isn't hard to do, Nathan." He slapped him on the back and said, "You be safe, son."

Nathan turned back. "Oh, and please don't forget," he said quickly. "There should be three more letters coming from Elizabeth. Please mark them return to sender."

Rebecca laughed. "You've told us that about four times, Nathan. We're not senile yet."

Nathan was very mobile now with his cast. Except for not bending at the knee, he was walking just the way he always did. He put his suitcase up on the step, threw the bag with the food over his shoulder and stepped up.

Waving to them, Nathan thought, _Now, only eight hours before I see them. _He loved Airdrie and his mother and Charlie, but he had never wanted to get home so badly.

Nathan slept some on the train, then gazed out of the window for a while, and then re-read all of Elizabeth's letters a couple of times, lingering on the parts he liked the best.

One of his favorite pastimes these days was designing their house in his head. Now it was houses, plural. But he wasn't worried about the cost.

Since he was a half-owner of the ranch with his mother, he not only had his income from NWMP, but also half of the profits from the ranch sales.

Nathan knew where Charlie kept the best stock, far at the end of their land where the butchering shed was located. He thought his mother probably knew about it too, but she tried not to think about it.

They sold beef, pork, lamb, chickens, eggs, goat's milk, cow's milk and cheese. Nathan smiled. He didn't know what his mother thought three full-time ranch hands did all day, but she hardly ever saw them. What showed to the house was no more than a petting zoo of sorts, with a couple of goats, a pig, four chickens, a rooster and about ten cows.

This was one of the reasons Nathan had to come home now and then, to do the books. It had been a good year, and Nathan's half of the profits would easily pay for the materials for their house in Hope Valley.

The number of bedrooms was what had him stumped. Nathan and Elizabeth had talked to each other about everything concerning their marriage except one: how many, if any, more children they wanted to have. It was an important conversation, but it was a minefield of sorts.

Nathan was naturally terrified of Elizabeth giving birth. Women died every day in childbirth, and his experience with Sarah had been horrific. He could still replay it all in his head now, though he tried desperately to push it away.

On the other side of that was his deep love for Jack and Allie, and his wonder as he watched them grow. Nathan was very clear on the fact that, no matter how much he loved them, neither one was biologically his. When he thought of creating a child with Elizabeth, a little person who would be a part of both of them, it made him so happy he could hardly breathe.

It was simultaneously his deepest desire and his greatest fear. So he had never brought it up. But they would have to talk about it soon.

Nathan looked out of the train window again. One more station; then he would be in Hope Valley. About fifteen minutes. When he thought about seeing the people of the town, Nathan smiled. He missed them. He missed walking the streets and riding Bear on his rounds. He missed Abigail's and the saloon, Bill Avery's growl and Clara's laugh. Fiona's sophistication, Carson's seriousness, Faith's sweetness and Lee's way of smiling at Rosemary as if the sun rose and set in her.

And just as he thought of that, there they were. Lee and Rosemary watching the train pull in slowly, peering through the windows, looking for him. When Rosemary saw Nathan, she broke into a huge smile and waved expansively. He put his head out the window and called to her, "Hello!"

Nathan was home.

"Bear is all saddled up and ready to go out at your row house, Nathan. We'll take you there now, and you'll be on your way," Lee said.

Nathan smiled gratefully. "I can't thank the two of you enough."

"Oh, don't be silly, Nathan," Rosemary said. "I, for one, would have felt left out if you hadn't contacted me. This is so much _fun!"_

"Happy to do it, Nathan," Lee said.

"And Lee," Nathan said, leaning toward the front seat, "I want to talk to you sometime soon about lumber, for the house we're going to build."

Lee smiled, "Any time. It's what I do."

Rosemary's eyes widened. "Oh, a house!" She whispered, "It will need decorating. I can't wait to talk to Elizabeth!"

* * *

Elizabeth usually walked home with Allie after school, but Allie knew that Elizabeth would be going to check the mail, and there would be a letter there. Then she would go with Jack to the dock to read it.

Elizabeth always invited Allie along, but Allie had so many friends in school that one or the other, or a group of them, would be going to someone's house to play, or they would play jacks on the steps to the school, or hopscotch in town. And Allie was glad to give Elizabeth the time to read her Uncle Nathan's letters.

On Thursday, Elizabeth decided to ride Sergeant out to the dock after picking up the letter from the Mercantile. Jack was constantly asking to ride the horsey now, and it would give Sergeant a chance to graze on the spring grass out by the pond.

Nathan's letters were many splendid pages long, and Elizabeth knew to get herself completely settled on the dock after getting Jack set up with his toys.

It was a beautiful day, and Elizabeth raised her face to the afternoon sunshine and closed her eyes. She had learned the fine art of cultivating anticipation; there was always the little let-down when she'd finished reading, knowing that there wouldn't be more news until tomorrow. So with her eyes closed, she did what Nathan had told her; she imagined him riding up as he had that day, saying, _well, not exactly saying, it was more like stuttering,_ "Sorry, I... I didn't... I didn't know you were busy."

She'd learned over time when Nathan was kidding her, and this was one of those times. He'd said it when he saw that Jack was industriously and very seriously throwing rocks into the pond. Nathan was actually talking to both Elizabeth and Jack.

Elizabeth laughed to herself. Strange how little some men understand women. Men who talked smoothly, like Lucas, for example, might think that slick, easy way of speaking to women was attractive. It never was for Elizabeth. It actually made her a little suspicious. She would take Nathan any day.

She opened her eyes and finally looked down at the letter in her hands. She frowned a little, feeling how thin it was. They did write to each other every day, perhaps he had run out of things to say to her? The letter yesterday had been a full seven pages of his strong, compact handwriting.

Elizabeth opened the envelope.

"Oh," she said softly, and that one small sound was filled with profound disappointment. Only one page, and sparsely written at that. No formality, just a few lines. For a moment she was afraid to read it, for fear it would tell her something she didn't want to hear. Was he having second thoughts? _No. Not my Nathan._ Finally, she steeled herself and began to read.

_Elizabeth,_

_My angel, my love._

_I am always with you, you know._

_And just to prove it to you..._

_Look up._

Elizabeth frowned. Then, confused, she did as he asked.

Her breath caught. _Okay, it's finally happened. I've lost my mind._

Nathan sitting on Bear in his full red serge uniform. Minus one boot and with the calf laces on his jodhpurs undone on the right side and a cast peeking out from below them. But everything else was in place.

"Hi," the apparition said. _That's his voice,_ her mind said. _His sweet wonderful voice. So I'm not only imagining I'm seeing things, but also that I'm hearing them._

"Nathan?" Elizabeth wanted to believe, but it made no sense. She got up from her perch on the dock, her heart pounding. "Nathan?"

He jumped down from Bear, knowing that she couldn't leave Jack on the dock alone. And anyway, he had to hold her.

_If I'm dreaming, don't wake me up_, she thought as they ran into each other's arms. He was kissing her, but she had to keep her eye on Jack, so she turned. But Jack was running toward them with his little arms up and saying Nathan's name.

Swooping him up, Nathan said, "Hello, little man," and unabashedly kissed Jack on the cheek and then, of course, had to make a face. Jack giggled and said, _"'gain!"_

But by then, Nathan had pulled Elizabeth to him tightly and was lost in the fragrance of her hair and the warm feel of her in his arms. "I never thought I could miss anyone so much," he said softly in her ear. "What's it been, a year?"

Elizabeth laughed, close to tears, and kissed him, her hands on his face. "At least that, maybe two."

"Uncle Nathan!" They all turned around, and Allie was running to the dock. Behind her, smiling, with tears in her eyes, Rosemary stood, her hands clasped in front of her.

Elizabeth laughed. "Were you _all_ in on this?"

Allie was hugging them now and she said, "Mrs. Coulter just told me we should walk out here and she said it was a surprise." She looked up at Nathan, grinning. "You came home early! This is so great!"

Rosemary watched as the four of them stood on the dock; Jack in one of Nathan's arms, and Elizabeth in the other. Allie stood and hugged them all. When Nathan bent to kiss Elizabeth, Rosemary would have given anything to have had Fiona's little camera. Instead, she etched it in her memory, and unselfconsciously let the tears roll down her cheeks.

If she had been shown this picture two years ago, would she have believed it? That tragedy and grief could be turned into this kind of happiness? Elizabeth had been such a good soldier, Rosemary thought. She had borne the unthinkable and had come out on the other side.

Of course they all still honored and missed Jack; but who on earth wouldn't want this for Elizabeth? This joy, the obvious love these four had for each other.

Rosemary watched as Elizabeth buried her face in the collar of Nathan's tunic, and then she looked up at him and both of them laughed out loud, full of undiluted joy.

Rosemary couldn't know that Nathan had asked Elizabeth if she could detect the traces of perfume there. Because he had noticed it the minute he'd put it on.


	32. Chapter 32

And now there were two Mounties in Hope Valley.

The little procession of Nathan and Elizabeth leading Bear and Sergeant, with Allie on Bear, Rosemary walking with them, and Nathan carrying Jack on his shoulders, was pretty hard to miss.

As they walked from the pond, Rosemary was expressing all the frustration she'd felt for the last two weeks, and Nathan was listening patiently. He was so glad to be back that he was actually enjoying it.

"I think," Rosemary said heatedly, "You should march into the Mountie office and relieve that little toad of his duties right this minute."

Nathan smiled at her. "I appreciate the vote of confidence, Rosemary, I really do," he said, "but I have to get cleared by Carson before Headquarters will pull Constable Covington."

Rosemary brightened. "We could go there now!" she said, turning toward the Infirmary.

Elizabeth laughed. "Let's let Nathan take a breath, Rosemary," she said. "He's been traveling since very early this morning."

Now they were in town, and seemed to be attracting attention. One man, then a woman, came up and shook Nathan's hand, welcoming him back to Hope Valley and congratulating him on his engagement. He looked at Elizabeth and smiled, remembering her letter. She laughed softly and said, "I told you, you'll be shaking a lot of hands."

As they walked past Abigail's, Clara and Jesse were just coming out. Both came straight for them.

Clara asked Elizabeth, "Were you surprised?" Nathan turned to Rosemary and raised an eyebrow, and Rosemary said quickly, "She was sworn to secrecy! I had to tell _someone!_ It was too sweet!"

Elizabeth hugged Clara, laughing. "I thought I was seeing things. I was _completely_ surprised!"

Jesse shook Nathan's hand and said, "Welcome to the land of the engaged, Nathan. You have _no idea_ what is in store for you." He smiled at Clara who tilted her head at him. Jesse quickly said, "And it's all _good!"_

Fiona came out of the saloon with Lucas close behind her. "Nathan!" she said happily, walking quickly toward them. The crowd was growing and they were taking up a good portion of the street.

Allie laughed and said, "Uncle Nathan, I can take Bear to the livery if you want?" She turned to Elizabeth, "You think Sergeant would let me lead him?" Before she could answer, Jesse said, "I'll take him, Allie. We can go together." He kissed Clara on the cheek and said, "I'll be right back."

Fiona was hugging Elizabeth. She whispered, "You must be so happy he's home. Did you know he was coming?"

Elizabeth nodded, "I am, Fiona. And no, he surprised me out at the pond!"

Lucas shook Nathan's hand. "Congratulations, Nathan. I know you'll be very happy together." There was just the slightest bit of wistfulness in his eyes. At the very beginning, there had been a time when he'd thought Elizabeth might have chosen him, but it had been clear for a long time that her choice was Nathan. Lucas knew now that it was a good match and he was happy for them.

Nathan said, "Thank you, Lucas." Jack was getting restless on his shoulders, and he pulled him down into his arms. He rested easily on his hip and Nathan was able to put his campaign hat back on his head.

The impromptu celebration continued as Ned Yost and Florence came out of the Mercantile. Then Molly who had been shopping, and Bill Avery from his office. Carson, Faith, Hickam, and Lee joined in. Kisses and hand-shaking were shared all around and it began to look like a party in the middle of the street, with Nathan in full uniform standing proudly in the center, and Elizabeth incandescently happy next to him.

Even Henry Gowen stopped his car and shook Nathan's hand.

Gradually, they began to notice that there was one person not taking part in the celebration. Acting Constable Stuart Covington was standing outside the Mountie office with his hand resting on his sidearm, looking at them with narrowed eyes.

He called out loudly, "You'll all need to move on. You're blocking the street."

Nathan looked up from shaking Henry's hand. He handed Jack to Elizabeth and straightened to his full height, adjusting his hat slightly and taking a few steps forward. His eyes were also narrowed, and the group grew quiet, looking from one to the other in some anticipation.

"I don't think so," Nathan said. His voice was strong and deep and had all of the authority of his uniform behind it. "I think we're all fine right where we are."

Constable Covington stared at Nathan for a moment, deciding what to do. Then he got a cold look in his eyes and reached into the pouch on his belt and pulled out his citation book.

Nathan smiled at him, but the whole town knew this was not a smile you wanted to see from Constable Nathan Grant.

"Not today, Constable," Nathan said firmly, raising his chin. "In fact, it may be time for _you_ to move on."

As the entire town burst into spontaneous applause, Elizabeth threw her arms around Nathan and kissed him.

Acting Constable Stuart Covington exhaled sharply and stormed back into the Mountie office, slamming the door as he went.

Nathan laughed softly and said into Elizabeth's ear, "I may pay for that."

She hugged him tighter. "You won't be alone in doing it, Nathan. You'll have the whole town behind you."

Now Nathan received slaps on the back, a heartfelt hug from Rosemary, and plenty of exclamations of "Good man, Nathan!"

And then Lucas called out loudly, "Family Time in the saloon!" and everyone started making their way there.

Lucas was aware that Hope Valley had a bit of a dilemma. Abigail's was the family café, but it wasn't very large. The saloon had alcohol and gambling, but it could hold a large number of the townspeople. Lucas had kindly solved the problem by creating what he called "Family Time." The alcohol went behind the bar, the cards disappeared and tables were pushed together. Tea, hot chocolate, popcorn and cookies were brought over from Abigail's and Bill and Lucas shared in the profits when things were sold.

Movie nights, Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners, town meetings, weddings, dances – really anytime there would be families and children present, became Family Time. But these were planned events.

What Lucas had done with Nathan and Elizabeth on this day, primarily because of Jack and Allie, was very much out of the ordinary. It served to underscore what an integral part of the Hope Valley community their little family had become.

The town was celebrating three things in particular: Nathan and Elizabeth's engagement, Nathan's return to Hope Valley, and the imminent departure of Constable Covington. It became a time to share stories about all three, and also a time to congratulate the happy couple, together again after Nathan's harrowing ordeal and his time in Airdrie.

And in the middle of it all, Nathan and Elizabeth couldn't stop looking at each other. From the time Elizabeth looked up on the dock, they'd had no time alone together, and although they loved how they felt in the town's celebration, they were both also looking forward to a time later in the evening when it could just be the two of them.

Little by little, people said goodbye, shook Nathan's hand again, kissed Elizabeth on the cheek _again_, and made their way home for their own family dinners.

Carson and Faith were some of the last to go, and as they said goodbye, Carson said, "If you're not too tired, can you stop off at the Infirmary and let me take a look at that leg? You seem to be getting around pretty well on it. No pain?"

Nathan nodded. "No pain. It feels strong. And actually, I need your approval so that I can take up my duties again." He smiled. "I may have burned a bridge with Constable Covington today."

Carson and Faith both laughed. Faith said, "We're all glad you did! He was planning to go through the Infirmary this week to make sure we were in 'regulatory medical compliance,' whatever that means. Who knows what he would have found?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "So it would be a benefit to you if I came back to work?" He smiled at them.

Carson nodded and said, "Well, the good news is that you can now ride a horse."

Elizabeth had been determined not to make a sound, but she stifled a laugh and it somehow turned into a snort.

Nathan looked sideways at her, "Smooth," he said softly.

"Sorry," Elizabeth said, blushing a bit.

Carson laughed. "It's okay, I really didn't think you'd last that long anyway. It doesn't hurt when you ride?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Only the horse." He reached down and knocked on the cast. "How long does this have to stay on?"

"It _should_ stay on another three weeks, but you seem to have bounced back pretty quickly. Let me take a look at it when you come to the Infirmary, and we'll see about getting you cleared to work."

There were more people waiting line to say goodbye, so Carson and Faith hugged them and headed toward the door.

Finally it was just Nathan, Elizabeth and a few others, in addition to Clara, Jesse and Lucas cleaning up. Rosemary was holding Jack and sitting with Allie and a few of her friends.

Elizabeth squeezed Nathan's hand while he was saying goodbye to Bill. "I'll ask Rosemary if she can take the children home." She leaned up and kissed Bill warmly on the cheek. "Thanks for coming."

Bill hugged Elizabeth and said, "I wouldn't have missed it." He clapped his hand on Nathan's back. "We're pretty glad to see this guy up and around again."

Nathan laughed. "That wouldn't have anything to do with the number of cases coming through your court from your Acting Constable, would it?"

Bill groaned. "My arm is getting tired from slamming the gavel down on my desk and saying 'Case dismissed.'" He rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Covington is the silliest Mountie I've ever met. And I've met a _lot_ of them. I'll put him on the stage myself."

Elizabeth laughed. "I'll see you later," she said to Bill.

As she walked away, Nathan said seriously, "Bill, we'd like to talk to you sometime soon. About how we could adopt Allie once we're married."

Bill grinned. "Oh, that's great, Nathan. And it's a pretty simple process." He puffed up a little. "I do believe it's unilaterally up to the Judge in town." Smiling and nodding, he added, "And that would be _me."_

Across the room, Elizabeth sat down next to Rosemary and Allie. She gave Jack a kiss on the cheek.

"Rosemary," Elizabeth said, "I hate to ask you for yet _another_ favor, but would you mind taking Allie and Jack home? We need to get Carson's approval for Nathan to go back to work."

Rosemary waved her hand in the air and said, "My dear, I would do anything to make that happen as fast as possible." She laughed and said, "Wasn't Nathan magnificent? He reminded me of an actor I worked with once in a play in New York City, what was the name of that play...? These two actors facing each other, staring each other down..."

Elizabeth sighed a little. "He was magnificent, wasn't he?"

Rosemary took Elizabeth's hand. "It's very good to see the two of you together again." Rosemary looked at Jack and then Allie. "The _four_ of you."

"I'm very happy, Rosemary," Elizabeth said.

"That's very obvious, Elizabeth," Rosemary said, with tears coming to her eyes.

"Thank you for what you did today. It was a wonderful surprise."

Rosemary shook her head, "Lee and I loved doing it. And I know you've told me a bit about Nathan's letters, and you've told me about your time in Airdrie, but honestly I never would have pegged Nathan to be _such_ a romantic!"

Elizabeth nodded, her eyes going soft, "_Still waters,_ Rosemary."

Moving closer, Rosemary whispered, "So when do we start our planning? I think I've been _very_ patient!"

Elizabeth laughed. "Yes, you have. And Nathan and I will have a chance to talk about it soon. We have some ideas, and I just want to confirm that we both feel the same way about it. Then we'll have you and Lee over to dinner and we'll tell you everything."

Rosemary clapped her hands. "Oh, goody, another wedding to plan!"

Elizabeth hugged her. "And you're sure you don't mind taking Allie and Jack up to the house? We won't be long."

"Of course I don't! Take your time." Then she whispered, "As much as you need. Take a walk with that heroic man of yours."

Nathan came up to them and put his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "I want to go say thank you to Lucas." He looked at Rosemary. "And to you. It was perfect."

Rosemary giggled, "I haven't told you. When your letter arrived, both Ned and Florence were in the Mercantile. They recognized the return address and were very curious about why you would be writing me a letter. I loved your idea so much that I may have overreacted _just a teensy bit_ as I was reading it, and I had to make something up. I can't even remember what I said!"

Nathan nodded and laughed. "Well, that explains why Florence came up to me and said, 'Now it makes perfect sense.' I had no idea what she was talking about."

Sighing again, Elizabeth stood and put her arm around Nathan's waist. "I will never forget how it felt to look up and see you there. I thought I had lost my mind or was delirious from missing you."

Nathan pulled her close. "I couldn't wait another day." They looked at each other for a long moment and then realized that they weren't alone. They both looked back at Rosemary and she was sighing too.

"Go. Go!" she said. "Lee is getting dinner started. We'll all be at our house." She winked at Elizabeth. _"Whenever_ you get back."

"Thank you, Rosemary. You are such a good friend," Elizabeth said.

_"Best_ friend," Rosemary said, a little choked up. "Bye, you two!"

Nathan and Elizabeth stopped off to give Lucas a heartfelt thank you. "I think we all enjoyed it," Lucas said. "It was a good day for a party." He nodded to Nathan. "And very glad to have you back as our Constable. I was being told I was close to losing my liquor license, and it may have come to blows," he said, smiling.

Nathan nodded. "Your liquor license is safe, Lucas. I think I have a lot of reporting to do to Headquarters on how Covington handled his duties here. We'll make sure it all gets turned around."

"Thank you," Lucas said, shaking his hand. He looked at both Elizabeth and Nathan. "And again, congratulations to both of you."

* * *

Finally alone, Nathan and Elizabeth walked out into the street just as the sun was setting.

Elizabeth looked out to the west. "Another sunset. Where's a porch swing when you need one?" she said softly, looking up at him.

Nathan stopped in the middle of the street. "I don't care who sees us," he said, finally moving that tendril of hair from her face, gently.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed. "I love it so much when you do that," she said, as if she were dreaming.

"I love _you,"_ Nathan said, and bent to kiss her tenderly. She put her arms around his neck, feeling his warmth, his strength, and the rightness of being here in Hope Valley in his arms. All the longing she'd felt in the last two weeks, wanting so much to do this, just melted away.

"And I love you," Elizabeth said.

There were still a few people here and there, walking the streets of Hope Valley. As they watched the gold and pink of the sky change the colors of his red serge tunic and her white blouse and lilac skirt, they smiled.

It was a breathtaking picture; the Mountie and the schoolteacher, so deeply in love.

And they were both home.


	33. Chapter 33

"Does that hurt?" Carson asked, looking up at Nathan.

Nathan shook his head. "Nope."

Nathan was up on the examining table in the Infirmary. He had the right pantleg of his jodhpurs rolled up above his knee and the cast that had been in place for nearly nine weeks was gone. Carson had cut it off in order to make sure Nathan's bone had healed properly. He was fully prepared to put another cast on if it wasn't.

Elizabeth stood to one side and Faith was on the other.

Carson nodded, "Well, I'm impressed. Whatever you're doing, keep doing it. _But,"_ he said emphatically, "When you ride, you need to be more careful than you have been with the cast. I don't think you want to break this bone again and start all over."

Nathan exhaled. "I definitely do _not_ want to do that."

Carson said, "And you'll want to walk. Some of those muscles have lost their strength while you were in the cast. You'll need to build them up again. But no running for a week or so."

Smiling, Nathan said, "Who's supposed to run after the bad guys?"

Carson raised his eyebrows. "You _walk_ to Bill Avery's office and tell him to swear in some deputies, and _we_ will run after the bad guys. Hopefully, none will roll into town this week."

Nathan laughed. "Thanks, Carson. I'll take it easy. Anyway, I have many hours of reports to file with Headquarters regarding your _former_ Acting Constable. I'm sure he's already called them lodging a complaint against me, so I'll need to defend myself..."

Before he even finished his sentence, Faith, Elizabeth and Carson overlapped firmly, "We'll explain it to them!" and "Not alone, you won't," and "We want to lodge a complaint against _him!"_

Laughing again, Nathan said. "Thank you. This Constable feels very supported by the town of Hope Valley."

He reached out and took Elizabeth's hand, squeezing it tightly. He smiled silently at her, and she could read it in his eyes. _This town just keeps amazing me._

Carson was wrapping a thick cloth around Nathan's knee and just below. "This is a compression bandage. It has rubber in it and will protect your knee from twisting. It's not like the cast. You can still do some damage if you do too much." Carson finished up and said, "Okay, let's see how it feels."

Nathan swiveled around, put his feet on the floor, and stood up. He was still wearing his tall riding boot on his left foot and now his right foot was bare.

Frowning, Nathan said, "We have a problem."

They all looked at him, concerned.

"My other boot is up in my house," Nathan said. "I probably shouldn't hop all the way home."

Carson said, "No, you shouldn't." He put his foot up against Nathan's booted foot on the floor. "Mine would be too small," he said, shaking his head.

Elizabeth said, "No problem. I'll just go up and get it."

"Do you mind?" Nathan asked, taking her hand again. "It's a long way to walk."

Shaking her head, Elizabeth smiled up at him, "Not at all." She was already getting her basket. "It's a beautiful night."

Nathan smiled and said, "Thank you," and then he leaned a little closer and whispered, "_Angel._ You're saving me again."

Elizabeth laughed and blushed a lovely shade of pink. By way of recovery, as she often did, she used her teacher voice. "And _where_ is your boot?"

Nathan smiled, seeing the color come into her face. He said, softly, "It's just inside the front door. My other sock is inside it."

_She had missed him so much._ Without thinking, Elizabeth just leaned up and quickly kissed him. As they often did, they had both somewhat forgotten that they weren't the only ones in the room.

Not only were Faith and Carson in the room; they had watched the entire interchange while smiling ear-to-ear.

Elizabeth and Nathan looked over at the same time and saw Carson and Faith grinning at them. "What?" Nathan said, smiling.

Carson said, "Oh, nothing. Just that you remind us of..."

Both he and Faith said at the same time, "Us."

Nathan looked out of the door and made sure Elizabeth was on her way up to the row houses. He turned to Carson and said, "We should have about twenty minutes. There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Faith said, "Would you like me to go? I can run to the..."

"No," Nathan said. "I would appreciate it if you would stay. And I know that anything I tell you is confidential, correct?"

They both nodded. Carson said, "Absolutely. What is it, Nathan?"

"I'm going to give you the short version, and we can talk about it more later when we have time. It's just that I need to speak with Elizabeth about this and I feel I want more information before I do." Nathan took a deep breath. "My sister died at twenty-six as a result of infection and blood loss. She had given birth to a breech baby, who died less than an hour after he was born."

Frowning, Carson said, "Nathan, I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," he said, pushing down the familiar pain of remembering. He needed to get through this. It's not a story he had told often in the time since it had happened. "I delivered the baby. And I was alone with my sister, with Allie in the other room at four years old, until the doctor could get there late the next day. Sarah, my sister, died two days after the birth."

A tiny gasp escaped Faith's lips, and Carson laid his hand on Nathan's shoulder. He exhaled and said, "I can't imagine how horrible that was for you."

Nathan took a deep breath. "The baby was big. I couldn't turn him. I couldn't stop the bleeding."

Carson looked closely at Nathan. "Those types of deliveries require special care even in hospitals, Nathan. You did everything you could."

Nathan looked up, haunted. "What if that's Elizabeth, Carson? I can't," Nathan shook his head. "I can't lose her."

Carson nodded, understanding the full scope of Nathan's question now. He sat down on a stool, and so did Faith. Nathan was sitting on the edge of the examination table.

Carson said, "You said you wanted information, and we don't have much time. Do you want to ask questions?"

Nathan sat up straighter. "Yes. How many babies have you seen born?"

Thinking, Carson said, "Sixteen? Yes." Nathan looked at Faith. She said, "Oh, I probably assisted on sixty or seventy, in the hospital in Hamilton."

Nathan asked, "How many lived?" Carson said, "Fifteen. All but one. Sometimes they're just not strong enough." Nathan released a breath and looked at Faith. She said, sadly, "All but three. But they were too early and very complicated."

Nathan thought for a moment, then he said, "Sarah was my twin. Is there an increased chance that Elizabeth would conceive twins?"

Carson nodded. "You and Sarah were fraternal twins, so, yes, there is strong evidence that Elizabeth would be more likely to conceive twins. But it's still a low percentage overall."

Nathan looked at both of them. "I want a child, children, of our own, very badly. And, frankly, I'm terrified."

"Of course you are," Carson said softly. Faith nodded, "It's natural for you to feel that way, Nathan."

"Okay," Carson said. "We don't have much time, so I'll be quick. A breech delivery is always a little complicated, but there are new procedures for turning the baby, for caesarian section deliveries, ether is being used to minimize injury to mother and child. Even in the last few years, great strides have been made."

Carson leaned forward. "You weren't in a hospital, or even an infirmary like this one." He spoke softly because he was afraid this might be hard for Nathan to hear. "I can't be certain, but it's likely that if Sarah had been here, with antiseptics, blood transfusions... she and the baby might have lived."

Nathan said softly, "Our ranch is forty minutes by wagon to the town, and there's no medical facility in Airdrie. It would be the train from there, and..."

Faith said softly, "Exactly. You were too far away. It just happens sometimes."

Nathan looked up at them, his eyes clear. "So you're telling me that if we're here in Hope Valley, Elizabeth would be safe?"

Carson sighed. "I never say anything one hundred percent, Nathan, but yes, even a breech birth, or the birth of twins would be something we could handle well right here. And if we have some notice, there's always the hospital in Hamilton for something more complicated."

Now Nathan took a very deep breath. He looked at each of them and said, "Thank you. I feel I can have that talk with Elizabeth now."

Faith asked, "And she knows about Sarah?"

Nathan smiled. "She knows all of it. We talked about it a while ago, before our engagement." He paused. "We need to talk about it again."

"Talk about what again?" Elizabeth's voice came from just around the door. She was holding Nathan's boot.

Nathan smiled and said, "Our... wedding date. We need to decide when."

Elizabeth said, "I thought it was going to be June 23rd?" She frowned, "Oh, we haven't talked about that. Did you get my letter suggesting that day?"

Nathan smiled. "Yes, I did. And I have an interesting piece of information about that."

"What?" Elizabeth said.

"June 23rd is my mother's birthday." Nathan looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know that! It's another sign!" Elizabeth said quickly.

Nathan laughed. "Somehow I thought you might see it that way."

Carson fitted Nathan's sock and boot on his foot carefully and had him walk around the Infirmary a little.

Nathan nodded, smiling. "It feels good. It feels _really_ good to be out of that cast."

Carson raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Constable Nathan Grant. You are officially cleared to resume your duties in Hope Valley."

Nathan grinned. "I assume I can get that in writing to send to Headquarters?"

Carson nodded. "Absolutely."

"I wonder where Acting Constable Covington is right now?" Nathan said with a sly smile.

Faith laughed. "Hopefully, packing his bags."

Elizabeth threaded her arm through Nathan's. "The stage doesn't leave until tomorrow afternoon. You'll have time to deal with that in the morning, won't you?" She looked up at him, "Maybe for now, we should try out that leg with a short walk?" She looked at Carson, her eyebrows raised.

Nodding, Carson said, "Doctor's orders. But a short one. No further than the church and back. Work up to it."

Nathan put his hand out. "Thank you, Carson, for everything."

Carson shook Nathan's outstretched hand. "We're glad to have you back, Nathan. And not just as our Constable." Faith hugged him and said, "Welcome home."

There was a moon out now and clear skies. Nathan and Elizabeth took Carson up on his suggestion and walked slowly out to the schoolhouse, because they knew they would be alone on the road. They filled in the details from their letters, and Elizabeth practically repeated what she had said in the three letters Nathan hadn't received yet.

"It was hard for me not to write to you in the last few days," he said. I'd gotten so used to writing you every night before I went to sleep."

Elizabeth smiled up at him. "Looks like someone may need to start a journal," she said playfully.

"Maybe," Nathan said. "Though I don't know if it would be quite as compelling or inspiring as being away from you." He sighed deeply. "I didn't like it much, Elizabeth. Being away from you."

Hugging his arm, Elizabeth said, "I didn't either. I would hold your letters as long as I could, because once I'd read them two or three times, I knew I'd be done until the next day."

Nathan laughed softly. "I did the same thing." He put his arm around her and pulled her close as they walked. "I really am starting to understand the whole letter thing a little better, with the Brownings? It's not like conversation, wonderful as that is," he said, kissing her head softly. "Not that we interrupt each other, but we do have a healthy give-and-take in conversation. When we write, we can finish whole sweeping concepts without stopping. It revealed to me again how very _much_ I love you, and your letters told me again who you are, what you stand for, how you move through the world with kindness. Does that make sense?"

Elizabeth stopped walking and turned to look at him. "I didn't know, when we first met, how sweetly poetic your soul is, Nathan. I had an idea this was all in there," she leaned up and kissed him, meaning it to be quick, but now they were alone on the darkened path to the church with only a moon for company.

Nathan wrapped the full length of his long arms around her and pulled her tightly to him. This was the first time they'd really been alone since he'd ridden up and seen her on the dock this afternoon. The weeks of missing each other took hold of them, and they both fell into the kiss completely.

Elizabeth knew that this walk to school would never be quite the same for her again; that she wouldn't be able to be on this path without remembering this. She was so entirely his, and knew again without a doubt that she wanted everything with Nathan; marriage, a home, to wake up together every day for the rest of their lives, to raise children.

But right now, she could hardly breathe. She knew Nathan was feeling the same way, because they did what they had talked about in their letters. She laid her head on his chest and they held each other closely, feeling the other's heartbeat racing and then calm as their breath slowed, and they simply stood together with no clear sense of where one ended and where the other began.

Finally, Nathan could wait no longer, and he said, softly, into her hair, "How do you feel about having more children?"

Elizabeth was glad they were still holding each other and he couldn't see her face, because she was certain she was blushing a little as she spoke. "I want very much to have a child of our own. Yours and mine."

She felt Nathan laugh softly. "Just one?"

Elizabeth smiled. "A houseful, if you want."

Nathan pulled away and looked at her face in the moonlight. He was fully aware that Elizabeth had moved beyond the deep fears she'd had about him being a Mountie. Now he could move beyond his fears of her having children. Jack and Sarah were gone, and they were tragic losses; but history wasn't always destined to repeat itself.

Nathan and Elizabeth were in their own brand new world. They got to write the future differently from the past. He suddenly felt more free than he had since those horrible days.

Instead of heading toward the church, Nathan turned and looked back at the town and the row houses in the distance. He said, "You think if we hurry, we can see Allie and Jack before they go to bed?" He could think of nothing he wanted to do more.

Elizabeth smiled and kissed him quickly. Her answer was to turn with him and start the slow walk up to Rosemary's. To see their children.


	34. Chapter 34

The people of Hope Valley always knew where to find Elizabeth and Nathan right before sunset. Their closest friends knew why they spent their evenings in various spots alongside the trees in camp chairs with Allie and Jack playing nearby.

Daylight savings time took a little while to be put into place in Hope Valley after it came to Canada in 1908, and it arrived mostly because of the train and stage schedules. Although confused at first about how one could simply turn the clock back, play God as it were, the people of the town began to look forward to enjoying the longer days of spring and summer.

So Elizabeth and Nathan would either have an early dinner and then venture out, or they would take a picnic dinner and watch the sun go down, sometimes with Bear, Sergeant and Sarah, sometimes on foot with Jack in his favorite place on Nathan's shoulders and Allie and Elizabeth holding hands.

They were looking for the perfect spot to watch the sunset. A spot with the trees behind them and the pond in front of them. Close enough to town, but far enough for privacy. Once they had found that spot, Nathan would go to the Land Office, which was a part of Bill's office, and start the process of purchasing a couple of acres for their house.

They had decided to build the wrap-around porch and have the porch swing delivered before beginning the rest of the house. Nathan's grandparents' marriage had lasted over sixty years based on this formula, and since Elizabeth was wearing the family ring, it seemed like a good place to start.

Tonight they were in a spot they'd tested a few times, and they kept coming back to it. It was the last week in May, with spring in full bloom in the meadows on the far side of the pond. They could see the town buildings in the distance on the left, the church spire to their right and the dock centered in their field of view.

Elizabeth pointed. "You see there?" she said to Allie. Elizabeth's chin was almost on Allie's shoulder so they could have the same sightline. "How when the sun goes down, it creates a reflection on the pond? We're not out here late enough so we can't see it, but when the full moon is in sight, it will cause a reflection as well."

Allie turned, her eyes wide and excited. "We should do that!" she said.

"Do what?" Nathan asked, looking up from where he was lying on the quilt with Jack riding horsey on his stomach.

"We should spend the night out here!" Allie said, "Camp!"

Elizabeth looked at Nathan, her eyebrows raised. "That _is_ something we haven't done yet. I love camping. We could make a fire and roast marshmallows. I got a recipe for marshmallows from Abigail once, but I haven't made them for a long time. Allie and I can make them together." Her eyes were bright, thinking about lying out here all night listening to the sounds in the trees, hearing the _hoo-hoo-hoo_ of the mourning doves in the early morning.

Ever practical, Nathan said, "Do you have a tent?"

Elizabeth frowned, "No, do you?"

Nathan smiled at her. "Yes."

"And it's big enough for all of us?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Yes."

He watched as it dawned on her. "Oh. We'll need two, won't we?"

Nathan laughed. "Unless you want to scandalize the town of Hope Valley. As it is, we probably will anyway with two tents unless they're pretty far apart."

Tilting her head, Elizabeth said, "But we're getting married in less than a month."

Moving Jack between them and raising himself up on an elbow, Nathan said, "So do you think they'd be any less scandalized?"

Finally laughing, Elizabeth said, "No."

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "It's silly to buy a second tent just for a month. You think we could borrow one?"

Nathan smiled. "You think Rosemary and Lee have one?"

Trying to imagine Rosemary camping made Elizabeth laugh out loud. "Oh, I don't think so," she said. She turned to Allie. "We'll work on this. It sounds like fun."

Allie had been listening to the back-and-forth conversation and was shaking her head. She was old enough to understand why they were having the discussion but it still didn't make a lot of sense to her.

She turned to Elizabeth. "You know how you're always telling me to follow my heart and not listen to what other people think?"

Elizabeth nodded cautiously. She sensed another minefield coming with their bright, inquisitive thirteen-year-old and her nearly photographic memory. Elizabeth also noticed that Nathan was suddenly completely absorbed in playing with Jack.

"How is this different?" Allie asked. When Elizabeth paused, Allie said, "I mean, I know how it's a little different. I have friends and they have older brothers and sisters and they talk about this stuff. But why is it that we worry about what other people think sometimes and not other times?"

Elizabeth had absolutely no good answer for this question, and she said so. "I don't know, Allie. It's a good question."

Finally, Nathan spoke, and Elizabeth was truly grateful. "Allie, you know how Mounties do their jobs? There are rules and regulations. Laws, right?"

"Yes," Allie said. "But Constable Covington followed the same rules and regulations you do, and the town was mad at him for it. But they're not mad at you."

Now Nathan seemed to have lost his train of thought.

Allie said to Elizabeth, "It just seems that sometimes we do things a certain way because of how it _looks_, not how it _is._ Like how your skirts are long and Fiona's are shorter. I heard Mrs. Cooper say it was wrong because Fiona's ankles show, but my ankles show all the time."

Elizabeth had always staunchly avoided the _you'll understand when you're older_ argument with children. She felt it was an evasion of the question, and that children's questions were important and valuable. But Elizabeth had never raised a girl like Allie.

"Allie, do you know what the word _propriety_ means?" Without being conscious of it, Elizabeth was using her teacher voice.

Allie frowned. "It's doing what other people think is right?"

Nodding, Elizabeth said, "Yes, sort of, but it has to do with the rules of society. Conforming to accepted standards of behavior. It's what keeps us civilized, like the laws your uncle Nathan was talking about."

Allie nodded as Elizabeth continued. "So though at times we might think these standards make no sense, they are there for a reason, and we try, when we can, to follow them."

Frowning, Allie said, "So tonight, it wouldn't be proper for us all to share a tent, but in a month, it will?"

Elizabeth laughed. She noticed that Jack was bouncing a little higher on Nathan's stomach as well.

Sighing, Elizabeth said, "Yes, Allie."

Shrugging, Allie said, "I guess we could wait." And with that, she stood up and began to gather rocks to throw in the pond.

Nathan and Elizabeth looked at each other and both exhaled. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and said softly, "I am _way_ out of my depth here."

Laughing softly, Nathan said, "Welcome to my world. I think you did very well." He reached over and took her hand, sighing. "I'm so glad you're here. Because I think it's only going to get worse."

Elizabeth laughed, "Thanks a lot!" she said, punching him softly in the arm.

They sat for a time, watching Allie search for rocks in the fading light. Bear, Sarah and Sergeant grazed nearby.

Elizabeth sighed. "I think this is it, Nathan. This is the spot. We keep coming back here."

Moving Jack on to the quilt with his toys, Nathan got up and sat next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I think so too." He called out to Allie, "Family vote!"

She ran back and said, "Finally! I like this one best."

Elizabeth raised her hand. So did Nathan. Allie jumped on to the blanket and lifted Jack's little hand in the air.

Elizabeth laughed and said, "You won't be able to that for long, Allie. Pretty soon he's going to have his own opinions." She leaned down and said to Jack, "Do you like this spot for our new house, Jack?"

Behind her, Nathan crossed his eyes and Jack laughed. Elizabeth turned and said, "That's cheating!" but she kissed him quickly, saying, "It's settled, then."

Nathan said, "I'll go to Bill's office in the morning and see how the parcels are laid out. Then I'll see Henry Gowen and work out a price."

Elizabeth said softly, "You know I can help with that."

"I know you can, but you don't need to. The ranch did very well last year," Nathan said. He took a deep breath and looked out at the faint moon as it rose in the twilight sky. "Our own land. Our own house." He shook his head softly and pulled Elizabeth closer. "If you'd told me a few years ago that I'd be doing this, I never would have believed it."

Elizabeth turned to him. "But it's what you want?"

Nathan looked at her, his eyes soft. "More than anything in the world."

"When can we start building?" Elizabeth asked.

"I already have the lumber ordered with Lee for the porch. We'll just get the plans approved with Bill and we start clearing the land. Next week?"

Elizabeth threw her arms around him. "And I'll order that stand-alone porch swing with Ned." She kissed him softly. "It's all happening, Nathan," she said happily. "I can put in the vegetable garden before the house is built, can't I?"

"Yes," he said, brushing back the lock of hair that had escaped her comb. "I can't make any promises, and it won't be completely finished inside by any means, but I think we'll be able to stay here once we get back from Airdrie." He whispered in her ear softly, "After we're married."

Elizabeth had to catch her breath. She was simultaneously nervous and she couldn't wait; and she realized that all the best things in her life had started that way. Her trip out west, her introduction to Hope Valley, every new school year, and now, this new life with Nathan.

Things moved quickly from there. Within a week, as promised, the land was being cleared and the foundation for the porch was being laid.

There was nothing but promise in the air.

Approximately one hundred and sixty-three miles north, in Edmonton, things were not looking so sunny for Caleb Butler. With the war in Europe heating up, he'd known that he would be one of the first called up to fight by the new conscription law. As Caleb sat in his small, dirty room in the poorest section of the city, he held the still-sealed envelope from the Conscription Office in his hands, turning it over and over again.

He took another good swallow from the glass of whiskey beside his bed. Why he should be asked to die in a war half a world away was beyond him, and whatever the letter said, he wouldn't do it. But considering he had been moving farther west every time trouble found him, he was running out of real estate. And he'd run out of money a while ago.

The last time he'd seen Nathan Grant or his little girl, Allie, had been nine years ago at the ranch in Airdrie. Sarah hadn't looked too good, and he knew she'd lost the baby, so he'd jumped on a train to Montreal before somebody blamed him for it. The high-and-mighty Grants always blamed him.

Caleb had gone to the ranch once after that, but he'd been stopped by Charlie. He knew that Sarah had died, and Charlie had said that Allie was with Nathan and that he'd better not think he could mess with a Mountie, especially Nathan.

Caleb had been there when Archibald Grant was carted off to prison, and he and Sarah had been in the room for part of the discussion when they decided to sign the ranch over to Nathan so it couldn't be taken by the bank. He'd piped up that it should really be signed over to Nathan _and_ him, as Sarah's husband, but of course they'd said no to that. After he'd given up and started on the whiskey, he'd missed the rest of the conversation.

But Caleb had never forgotten about that ranch. He'd kept that information in his back pocket through good times and bad, but the times had never gotten bad enough for him to go get his due.

He'd be damned if he'd go off to get shot in Europe, but Caleb needed money so he could disappear in the far west, or maybe he'd cross the border south. He knew Nathan was a Mountie still and that he was in some backwater town in Alberta. It shouldn't be too hard to find out where.

Taking another swig of whiskey, Caleb opened the envelope.

_"You are ordered to report for duty at the Headquarters of the Edmonton Depot Battalion in one week. Failure to obey this Order will render you subject to be taken into custody as a military offender..."_

Caleb exhaled loudly. _Well, that's that,_ he thought. He was already behind in his rent. He started to throw his few pieces of clothing into his carpet bag. First thing, find out where Constable Nathan Grant was stationed. Then ride the freight cars there and see about his daughter. Alice Rebecca Butler must be thirteen by now.

As he ran his fingers through his hair in the cracked mirror, he thought he might be developing some tender feelings toward the girl. If Nathan had to choose between his stake in the ranch or Allie, Caleb hoped he would choose Allie. But if he didn't, Caleb thought she would be old enough to start work and pay her own way.

Either way, he'd win.


	35. Chapter 35

"Fast or slow?" Nathan asked.

It was their shorthand. Instead of telling Elizabeth that he had an assignment that would take him away from her, Nathan had found that giving her the choice of how to hear it made it easier for her.

When she was a little nervous and needed to just rip off the bandage, she would say, "Fast." When she was feeling strong and confident, she said, "Slow," and she could get more information.

Tonight Elizabeth was feeling strong. "Slow," she said.

They had just finished a dinner of lasagna that Allie had made all by herself. Elizabeth was teaching her, which always made her smile a little because she remembered so well what a terrible cook she had been when she'd first travelled west.

Allie loved the story about how Elizabeth had actually burned down the teacherage when she first arrived in town. She was afraid of the coyotes' wails outside the windows and had left her dress too close to the fire on the stove.

Then it was burned biscuits, charred roast and every cooking catastrophe under the sun before Elizabeth began to get the hang of it. Now she was a very good cook, and it gave Allie hope that she would be sometime soon as well.

It was one of the things Allie truly loved about Elizabeth. She didn't have to be perfect all the time. She would tell stories of her exploits and it made Allie feel that if Elizabeth could learn, then she could too.

And tonight, the lasagna had been absolutely delicious. Everyone had seconds and Allie was very proud of herself. They'd had a wonderful talk over dinner about Italy and what it would be like to travel there to see the canals of Venice and the Vatican in Rome, and the time had flown by.

Since Allie cooked, Elizabeth and Nathan were doing the dishes. Allie was reading to Jack on the sofa.

Elizabeth looked over at Nathan and handed him another dish to dry. "Where are you going?"

"Brookfield," he said, taking the dish. "Gabe sent a message with the stage. He's got two investigations going at the same time and needs me to help him with some tracking."

"Well, you are one of the best trackers in the territory." Elizabeth smiled up at him. "How long will you be gone?"

"Probably two days. It's a case of bank fraud. They are actual bankers, not professionals, so it should be pretty quick, Elizabeth. They're just running scared."

She took a deep breath and handed him another plate. "Good." Elizabeth reached up a warm hand and touched his face. "Do what you have to do, my love. And then, come home to me."

Nathan put his hand over hers, holding her there. "And you know there's nowhere I'd rather be." He kissed her lightly. "And you're okay with Allie?"

"Always, Nathan. We have some sewing to do anyway. She's outgrowing everything so fast, and Rosemary just got some new cottons in. Anyway, I love having her here. I can't wait until we're all together in that big house by the pond." She handed him a bowl, laughing a little. "But _five_ bedrooms? Really? Are we starting a hockey team?"

Nathan laughed. "We'll have a frozen body of water right in front of the house. Maybe in my old age," he said. "No, Allie needs her own room, Jack needs his, and then if Mom and Charlie visit before the house in the back is built, and of course, we'll need... ours."

Elizabeth's cheeks flushed a little and she covered it by wiping her forehead, blaming it on the hot water. She and Nathan were so comfortable together, but talking about this part of their future could still turn them into blushing adolescents. In truth, she liked that he was also a little nervous and unsure.

To bring them back to the present, Elizabeth said, "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning, first thing. Bill can cover for a couple of days."

Elizabeth was finished with the dishes and Nathan was just drying the last of them. She turned to him and frowned. "There's no phone in Brookfield, is there?"

He shook his head. "No, but I can send a message with the stage tomorrow to let you know I'm there safely."

Elizabeth dried her hands and put them, warm, on either side of Nathan's face. She was smiling slyly. "So this means I get to oversee the building for a couple of days? Hmmmm. What can I add...?"

Nathan bent to kiss her tenderly. He whispered against her lips, "Another couple of bedrooms?"

She pushed him away and laughed. "You _do_ want a hockey team! I knew it." Hanging up the towel to dry she said, "I was thinking more along the lines of a sunroom. Lots of windows."

Moving over to the table, Nathan said, "Sunroom in the summer, but in the winter, those rooms get very cold."

Elizabeth lifted her eyebrows. "So, we add another stove."

Nathan put his hands around her waist. "Porch swing, ranch kitchen, extra stove... you're getting very expensive, you know that?"

She smiled sweetly up at him. "And the second part of that sentence is..."

"You're worth it," Nathan said, without hesitating. He kissed her softly and said, "I should probably go." He sighed, "Early morning."

Elizabeth pulled him closer and put her head on his chest. She held him for a moment, and then said against the cotton of his shirt, "I'll miss you. I love you. Be safe, please."

"I'll miss you, too," Nathan said. He moved away a little and whispered to her, "I love you, my angel."

Elizabeth still had to close her eyes and breathe when he called her that. She never got tired of it.

"Allie?" Nathan said, turning toward the sofa. "You okay with staying here tonight and tomorrow night? I have to ride out early to Brookfield."

Allie smiled. "Sure!" She looked at Elizabeth hopefully, "Maybe we can make cookies tomorrow?" Elizabeth nodded and Allie clapped.

Elizabeth said, "Say hello to Grace and Lillian if you see them."

"I will." He hugged Elizabeth again, then Allie, and then picked Jack up into his arms. "And you, little man, be good for your mother and Allie, okay?" Jack looked him in the eye seriously, as if to say, _and would I be anything else but good?_ Nathan laughed softly and blew into his neck, making a funny sound that sent Jack into giggles.

At the door, Nathan sighed and looked back at the three of them. "It's very hard to leave you. But I'll see you in a couple of days. Love you." And he was gone.

Allie kept overnight things at Elizabeth's house so that she would always be ready to spend the night if her Uncle Nathan was called away. So she went upstairs and got into her flannel nightgown and then came back downstairs. They stayed up reading for just a little while and then Elizabeth put a sleeping Jack into his crib. Allie went to her rollaway bed next to Elizabeth's, and they were all fast asleep within minutes.

By the time they got up and were ready for school, Nathan was on his way to Brookfield. He always knew that there was a possibility of danger in his own job, but he had no idea that Elizabeth, Allie and Jack might ever be in danger in Hope Valley.

Caleb Butler arrived by train that afternoon. He'd not only ridden a freight car for free down to Calgary, but a man at the train station there had been a bit lax in keeping his eye on his bags. Caleb managed to pick them up and in the process acquired a new suit of clothes, shaving equipment, and best of all, nearly $200 in cash.

So, when he boarded a train from Calgary to Hope Valley, Caleb looked every bit the gentleman with his gray suit and vest, gray bowler and fine leather suitcases.

When he arrived, he went straight to the saloon and secured a room under the name of Cal Baker. He had his eye out for Nathan, but it didn't take much listening at the bar of the saloon to hear that the Judge, a former Mountie, was covering for Constable Grant for a couple of days.

Caleb smiled at that news. These small towns were probably all the same. Trusting souls who would give you any information you wanted, and you didn't even have to ask for it.

Now to find Allie. She would be in the care of some adult in town, but right now, she would be in school. As Caleb wandered out into the street under the pretense of stretching his legs, he could see a church in the distance. There were children playing outside.

_It's a nice day for a walk,_ Caleb thought. The path to the church was perfect for that, and it wasn't even empty, so he'd hardly be noticed.

Of course, coming from Edmonton and before that, Montreal, Caleb had no real experience in a town like Hope Valley. He had already been noticed numerous times, starting with Lucas at the saloon. He wasn't a sawmill or an oil field worker, he hadn't tried to sell anything to anyone, and he wasn't accompanied by any of the townspeople.

If a stranger in a three-piece suit didn't have business with Lee, Henry, Bill or Lucas, and they were no one's relative, one had to wonder who on earth they were.

So before Caleb Butler reached the church, he was already being talked about by Bill, Clara, Rosemary, Florence and Lucas.

As Caleb approached the steps to the church, a very pretty young schoolteacher with long curly brown hair stepped out, ringing a cowbell, of all things. "Have a good evening, children. Don't forget your book reports for tomorrow!"

The stampede of children started down the stairs and as he stepped aside, Caleb listened carefully in case anyone called out to Allie. He scanned their faces, but the last time he'd seen her, Allie was only four. He really had no idea what she looked like.

And then, the teacher turned back to the inside of the church. "Allie, do you mind erasing the blackboard for me, please?"

From inside the church, Caleb heard a young girl's voice say, "Sure, Mrs. Thornton."

"Can I help you?" the teacher said, kindly.

Caleb tipped his bowler formally and bowed. "Thank you, ma'am, I'm a visitor in town and I like to look at churches when I travel. I had no idea this was a school."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "It functions as both. You're welcome to come in, Mr...?"

"Cal Baker, ma'am, from Edmonton," he said, halfway up the steps.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "You're a long way from home, Mr. Baker." She stepped aside and showed him the way into the church.

As he walked in, Caleb couldn't help but notice the sign on the wall: THE JACK THORNTON SCHOOL. He frowned and turned to Elizabeth. "I'm sorry for being so forward, but I thought I heard that young lady call you Mrs. Thornton." He pointed to the sign. "Any relation?"

Elizabeth nodded. "My late husband. He was a Mountie and he built this church." Caleb affected his _devastated_ look and said, "Oh, dear me, my apologies, Mrs. Thornton. I am so very sorry for your loss."

Frowning a little, Elizabeth said, "Thank you."

The frown came from a feeling that Elizabeth was having. She had been fooled once by a man named Billy Hamilton who turned out to be a con man who wanted a piece of the Thatcher fortune. She was getting a hint of the same impression of Cal Baker, and he even bore a slight resemblance to Billy.

But Elizabeth knew that there were all different sorts of people in the world, and she didn't like to make snap judgements of them. Mr. Baker had been nothing but polite to her, so she continued to be so to him.

"So, Mr. Baker, you like churches? Are you an architect or a pastor?"

Caleb laughed and said, "Oh, no. I just like the feel of them, is all. Quiet, solemn places. Good places to think." He had made his way up to the front of the room where Allie was finishing up with the blackboard. When she turned, he nearly gasped, and had to cover it with a cough.

His daughter had the absolute look of Sarah; the half-moon eyes, long nose and wide smile. But she had his light-brown hair, straight as a stick, nothing like Sarah's.

"Hello," she said, guilelessly. _So she trusts people,_ Caleb thought. _That's a good thing._

"And who might you be, young lady?" he asked. Allie said, brightly, "Allie Grant. Pleased to meet you." She had her hand out, and Caleb shook it. _Very grown up. But Allie Grant, is it? No longer Alice Rebecca Butler. Erased from the family, just as though I never existed._

Elizabeth got her books. "Thank you, Allie. You did a very nice job." To Caleb, she said, "We need to be going, Mr. Baker. May we walk you out?"

"Yes," Caleb said, recovering his composure. "Thank you kindly."

As they walked the path back to town, Caleb said, trying to sound casual, "Well, then, your husband was a Mountie. A very fine profession. I suppose all these little towns have Mounties now," he said.

Allie was all too ready to provide information, because she was so proud. "My Uncle Nathan is the Mountie here in Hope Valley," she said.

"Is that a fact?" Caleb said. "Well, you must be very proud of him. Perhaps I could meet him while I'm here?"

Allie was just about to say her Uncle was gone for a couple of days, when Elizabeth said quickly, "We expect him back soon." She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to give this man too much information.

Caleb narrowed his eyes just a bit. _We expect him back. And at the saloon they said a couple of days before Nathan would be back. Just how do you fit in this puzzle, Mrs. Thornton?_

Thinking that he would probably get nothing else of value from them, and knowing that it was Nathan he needed to deal with, Caleb decided to cut his losses. "Well, ladies, I believe I will depart from you now and take a look at this lovely pond."

Looking out past the meadow, he saw the house under construction. The front porch was built and some of the framing had been done for the rest of the house. The porch looked strangely familiar, and Caleb thought he saw a porch swing out there before the rest of the house was built. Caleb knew all of the Grant family stories. He nodded back at them, "Growing town. Wonderful."

Before Elizabeth could stop her, Allie, who was so proud and happy about the future, walked closer to him and said, "That's our house. My Uncle Nathan and Mrs. Thornton are getting married in two-and-a-half weeks and we're all going to live there."

Elizabeth came forward and took Allie's hand gently. "Allie, we need to go now. You've got Hattie and Rachel coming over to bake cookies and we still have to get a few things at the Mercantile." She turned to Caleb. "It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Baker. I hope you enjoy your stay in town."

Caleb bowed low and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Thornton. And congratulations on your upcoming nuptials. I wish you many years of happiness. Have a wonderful afternoon." He looked at Allie. "Goodbye, young miss."

As they walked away, Caleb smiled.

He'd had to do quite a bit of digging to find out where Nathan Grant was posted, and when you search through the library, you come across things you might not have expected. And when you search on information about Mounties, you come across newspaper stories.

Like the story of Constable Jack Thornton and his wife, Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton. Thatcher, as in William Thatcher, shipping tycoon.

Caleb laughed to himself. And now Nathan Grant, the quintessential Mountie, integrity and honor personified, had found his way to the Thatcher fortune. Caleb never would have figured Nathan for being a gold digger, but maybe he'd underestimated him.

With all that money, they would be persuaded to give up quite a bit of it. They'd never even miss it. And obviously this schoolteacher had a soft spot for Allie.

This was all going to work out just fine. It would be steak and a baked potato in the saloon tonight, Caleb thought.

And the best whiskey they had.


	36. Chapter 36

Bill Avery pulled up a chair and sat down at the table in the saloon. "Enjoying your dinner, Mr... ?"

Caleb looked up and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Who wants to know?"

Bill raised his eyebrows and smiled. "I do." He put out his hand. "Bill Avery, Acting Constable of Hope Valley."

Caleb took another bite of his steak. "Sorry, didn't recognize you out of uniform," he said, looking Bill up and down. "Am I breaking any laws, Constable?"

Exhaling, Bill decided he already didn't like the smart mouth on this stranger. He laughed softly, "Not yet."

Chewing loudly, Caleb said, "But you expect I will?"

Nodding and still smiling, Bill said, "Oh, I'm counting on it."

Caleb stared at him for a moment and then, just for the sake of being able to finish his dinner in peace, he put out his hand and said, "Cal Baker from Edmonton. Just passing through, _Acting_ Constable."

Bill shook his hand. "And if that's the case, Mr. Baker, then we should have no argument with each other. Are you going by train or by stage tomorrow?"

Caleb took a deep breath and paused. "I'm finding that this town has restorative properties, Mr. Avery. I may need to stay a few days to take them all in."

"Actually, Mr. Baker, I should clear this up right now," Bill said. "I'm not _Mr._ Avery. You have two choices in addressing me. One is Acting Constable, and the other is Your Honor. As in _Judge_ Avery."

Now Caleb put down his fork and knife and turned to face Bill. "Judge. Now I do recall hearing earlier that you were the Constable _and_ the Judge. Small towns, right?" he said, wiping his mouth. "Well, that is a coincidence. I might be needing a Judge's services sometime soon."

"In what capacity, Mr. Baker?" Bill asked, intrigued.

"Well, sir, I have a daughter, and I've not been in a position to care for her for a while, but now I am. I've come to rejoin with my sweet little girl, but I'm not certain those who have her will be willing to give her up. I need to know if a blood father with a desire to cherish a daughter has rights over a legal guardian appointed by the cold arm of the court." He saw Bill's eyes narrow further and said quickly, "No offense meant, of course."

"None taken, I'm sure." Bill paused, his mind speeding through everyone in town. And no matter how he tried not to, he kept coming back to Allie. He knew that Nathan's sister had died and that Nathan had been appointed Allie's legal guardian. He also knew the law. Unless he could prove beyond a doubt that this man was not fit to be Allie's father, he would have no choice in the matter. Blood would always win. And if what he was saying was true, this Cal Baker was closer to Allie in blood than Nathan.

Bill said calmly, "And what is your daughter's name, Mr. Baker?"

"Alice Rebecca Butler. And I apologize for the subterfuge, but one can never be too careful these days. My name is Caleb Butler, and I'm Allie's father. I was married to Nathan Grant's sister when she died, God rest her soul."

Narrowing his eyes, Bill said, "So that explains why you were talking to our schoolteacher as she walked home from the school with Allie this afternoon."

Smiling, Caleb said, "Ah, yes, Mrs. Thornton. Lovely woman." Then he frowned and said, "Is _that_ against the law?"

Bill leaned back in his chair. "No, it's not," he said softly.

Bill was thinking fast. He cared for Allie. The whole town did. This could turn out very badly, and he would be the one to decide.

Looking up at Caleb, Bill said, "Did you tell Allie and Mrs. Thornton what you're telling me?"

Caleb went back to his dinner, but his sarcastic tone was gone. He needed Bill Avery in his pocket, and you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. "No, that didn't feel right. I'm sure this won't be easy for all of them. I thought I'd wait until Nathan got back and talk with him first."

Bill exhaled sharply. _They're getting married in a couple of weeks. The paperwork is already in place, ready to sign to make Allie legally their daughter. And as happy as Elizabeth and Nathan are about it, Allie will be over the moon._

At first Bill felt nothing but sadness, and then he got angry. _Hasn't Elizabeth gone through enough? Hasn't Nathan? Hasn't Allie?_

Bill rose from his seat. "Well, you enjoy the rest of your dinner, Mr. Butler." He raised an eyebrow. "I imagine I'll be hearing from you."

Caleb looked up, grinning. "That you will, Judge Avery. That you will."

As he walked out the door, Bill was preparing the request in his head for the Edmonton Mountie office and Mountie Headquarters in Buxton for any information on one Caleb Butler. If Butler had so much as an overdue library book, Bill would know by tomorrow afternoon.

Up in her row house, Elizabeth poured another cup of tea for Rosemary. It was very late and Jack and Allie were already asleep upstairs. The house was filled with the delicious aroma of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies and they were each enjoying one while they went over the final plans for the wedding in Airdrie and the reception in Hope Valley.

Rosemary spread out her drawings. "This is the dress you'll wear to get married, and _this_ one is the one for the party here." She looked up expectantly, watching Elizabeth's eyes carefully.

"Oh, Rosemary," Elizabeth said, sighing. "They're perfect. Exactly what we talked about."

Rosemary put her hand on her chest, "Good, because Clara and Dottie have them halfway finished! We're sewing baby pearls on the bodice of your wedding dress. Here, and here. It will be _stunning!"_

"I love them both," Elizabeth said. "And Allie's dresses?"

Rosemary pulled out two more drawings and turned them around for Elizabeth to see. "These are each in Allie's favorite peach color. Chiffon for the wedding to match yours, and then this soft cotton for the party."

Reaching over to hug Rosemary, Elizabeth said, "They're all so beautiful. What do brides do when their best friends aren't fabulous dress designers?"

Rosemary fluttered her eyelashes happily as she hugged Elizabeth. "Oh, I suppose they _make do!"_

Elizabeth took another sip of her tea. "And you and Lee are really coming to Airdrie? You don't mind the trip?"

Rosemary waved her hand in the air, "Not at all. We can't wait to see this ranch you've talked so much about. And the pergola sounds like something out of a _fairy_ tale!" Rosemary had another bite of her cookie. "And from everything you've told me about Rebecca, I _have_ to meet her. What better time than a wedding!"

Elizabeth looked again at the note Nathan had sent by coach from Brookfield. It was written quickly, very different from his letters, but still clearly in Nathan's strong and even handwriting. _Dearest Angel, Here safely, meeting with Gabe, riding out tomorrow. Will sleep rough tomorrow night & will see you Thurs. Love to A & J & most of all to you, my beloved E., Nathan_

Rosemary put her hand over Elizabeth's on the table. "He'll be home soon," she said softly.

Elizabeth smiled up at her. "I know." She nodded. "I really _do."_

"You're different, Elizabeth. Than you were when Jack would go away," Rosemary said.

Elizabeth said, "I can't explain it, but I can so clearly see us growing old together in that house by the pond. I can see Allie and Jack growing up and having children of their own, and more children for us..." Elizabeth stopped and looked at Rosemary quickly, a question in her eyes.

Rosemary shook her head, "No, Elizabeth, please don't do that. I'm just fine. If Lee and I are meant to have children, it will happen. And if it doesn't, there are plenty of children who need homes and the kind of love we could give them." She took Elizabeth's hands across the table. "I haven't told anyone this, but when we were in Brookfield last month, we talked with Lillian and Grace. We told them if they heard of a young child, or siblings..."

Elizabeth brightened. "Rosemary! How wonderful."

"Lillian said that if the time is right, we'll all know it."

"And you will," Elizabeth said, squeezing her hand.

Taking a deep breath, Rosemary said, "And I can't believe you're getting a house before I am!" She laughed, "You know, Lee promised me one a long time ago. I must admit having you next door has made it hard to imagine leaving the row houses, so I've told him I wanted to wait. But now, we're talking about it again..."

Raising her eyebrows, Elizabeth said, "There's a lot of land out there, Rosemary. And we got a good price from Henry for our two acres." She smiled hopefully. "We could still be neighbors, just not so we can see each other's laundry drying!" Elizabeth laughed. "Much as I love seeing your head pop over the top of the fence."

Rosemary looked at her. "You wouldn't mind?"

Elizabeth frowned, "Mind? Why would I mind? We love living next door to you and Lee. I would like nothing better than for our children, yours _and_ ours..._"_ She said, looking firmly at Rosemary, "...to grow up together. For you to be able to just walk over for tea, for Jack to run to your house to see you whenever he wants..."

Rosemary said, "Really?" And then she laughed, "Well, that's good, because we're already looking a little. There's a spot to the right of your land, closer to town but still with a good view of the church and the pond, _and_ the sunset," Rosemary said softly.

Elizabeth looked at her happily. "I know exactly where you mean! We thought of that spot too, but I wanted to be a little closer to the school. That would be perfect!" Elizabeth smiled. "I tell you what, when Nathan gets back we'll take our dinner out to the porch one night, and Lee and Nathan can go walk off where you want to be."

Rosemary's eyes glistened. "Oh, Elizabeth. It's all falling in to place, isn't it? Lee and I are so happy together, and I'm ecstatic for you and Nathan and the children." She lowered her voice to a whisper, "And the papers for Allie?"

Elizabeth whispered too. "All set. Bill has them completely drawn up. Right after we're married we'll give them to her. Then we'll sign them, and she'll be ours."

"And she has no idea?" Rosemary asked.

"None," Elizabeth said, smiling. "She asked us when we first started planning if it could happen after we're married, and we told her we would talk about it when we got back to Hope Valley. She doesn't know it will be _minutes_ after we're married."

Rosemary sighed. "I'm so grateful we'll be there to see her face." She smiled and whispered. "This is my favorite kind of story. You take sadness and transform it into the best kind of happiness. With love."

Caleb Butler was surprised to find that a town the size of Hope Valley, with only one drinking establishment, had a library of its own. And even more surprised that the door was always unlocked. _Small town saps, so trusting._

Right now he was sitting at a table with a reference book open, making sure that he was correct in assuming that the closest blood relative would win out in a custody case. There were plenty of precedents already on the books.

He looked up at the plaque on the wall directly in front of him. _Always do what you are afraid to do. Ralph Waldo Emerson. _Caleb knew exactly whose hands had fashioned that wooden plaque. Nathan was always quoting some book or another, and he'd spent hours in the shed working on lettering wood for the ranch.

Caleb laughed under his breath. _Emerson had it wrong,_ he thought. _When you've been as poor as I've been, you're not afraid of anything. I'm so far down that there's nowhere to go but up._

Now, finally, he'd hit pay dirt. Caleb had no desire to raise his daughter, and even when he'd walked with her from the school, he'd felt nothing. When he looked at Allie, he saw dollar signs, and that was all. Lots and lots of dollar signs.

But that little girl seemed to have made an impression on this backwoods town. He could even see a glimmer of it in Bill Avery. Caleb thought they might fight pretty hard to keep her here.

Reaching in his pocket, Caleb read again, "_You are ordered to report for duty at the Headquarters of the Edmonton Depot Battalion in one week..."_ According to the date on the letter, Caleb had two days of freedom left before his name was branded as a military offender. It was cutting it pretty close, but as long as Nathan got back tomorrow as planned, there would be time for Caleb to convince him that he had a right to Allie and meant to take her. Then it would just be a matter of negotiation.

And Caleb knew that he could negotiate without emotion, while Nathan and that pretty schoolteacher with the rich family couldn't.

Then it would be off to Vancouver, or maybe even Portland and a new life. With money.

Caleb looked back up at the plaque. _You always used to win, Nathan. But I'm not afraid of anything now, and you have a lot to lose. This time, I win._


	37. Chapter 37

Nathan shook hands with Constable Gabriel Kinslow at the crossroads.

"Thanks again, Nathan," Gabe said. He was leading the horse of a handcuffed prisoner that they had just located and arrested. Gabe was on his way back to Brookfield, and Nathan was taking the road to Hope Valley.

"Happy to help, Gabe," Nathan said, now a short distance away. They'd been riding slowly, but now Nathan could let Bear run a little. It was still only early afternoon, and the fact that they'd wrapped things up so quickly meant that Nathan could spend tonight in Hope Valley instead of waiting until tomorrow.

Nathan made a final wave as Gabe rode out of view. He was anxious to get home to Elizabeth, but not anxious enough to do any harm to his leg. It had been twinging just a bit with the activity of tracking and subduing the prisoner. And the process had been a little more dangerous than he'd thought it would be when he'd told Elizabeth what he would be doing.

It would always be that way. _Until you're in the middle of it, you can't know._ Looking up at the sun halfway down the sky, Nathan smiled. _I love this work,_ he thought. _I love being a Mountie and all it demands of me. Riding, being outdoors, finding people who have hurt others and bringing them to justice. Using my skills as a tracker, finding the answers to questions that some find impossible._

And Nathan particularly loved being the Constable of Hope Valley. _There is a joy in protecting your family, a feeling of rightness about that. So when you have the opportunity to expand that out and also protect a town that you love, with people in it that you respect and admire; well, there's no better work a man could ask for. And if staying put and doing that is perceived as a lack of ambition, then so be it._

Nathan and Gabe had found some time on the trail to talk, and they'd been of a mind on the subject. Gabe loved Brookfield the way Nathan loved Hope Valley.

Nathan removed his hat and pulled the strap around to the front. There was a breeze blowing, and until a Mountie was forced to ride back a piece and dismount, pick up his hat and remount; that little strap might stay in its place at the back of the neck. After doing all that just once, a Mountie knew it belonged securely under his chin.

"You ready, boy? You want a run?" Nathan said. Bear pulled at the bridle and Nathan had only to touch his flank with his boot. Bear was off like the wind.

They should be home right around sunset.

Caleb sat on the bench outside the saloon and sighed. He knew that people were looking at him, but he couldn't stay in that room upstairs one minute longer. What he really wanted to do was buy a bottle of whiskey somewhere and take it up to his room where he could finish it off, but in a town so small that people knew a thought before you had it, that wasn't a very good idea.

Only one more day. After that he could do anything he wanted, but right now he had to make a good impression on that judge. Caleb knew that Nathan would be back today or tomorrow, and he sincerely hoped it would be today.

Caleb had finished his dinner in the saloon, had a modest one-finger whiskey, and now he had the whole long night ahead of him. No music, no girls, no dancing, and although he was dying to join in, no cards. It would be his luck to wager his last $20, drink too much and lose his chance at a little piece of the Thatcher fortune.

Caleb shook his head. Why anyone would want to live in this wide spot in the road was beyond him. As far as he could see, Hope Valley had absolutely nothing to offer.

_Maybe a walk to eat up some time_, Caleb thought. He stood and started toward the pond. The light was changing, and though the sun had a small piece of sky to travel before it would set, Caleb could see the sparkle of its rays on the pond surface.

_And that porch out there. Who builds a porch first and then the house? The Grants, that's who. Crazier than outhouse flies, all of them._

Caleb had loved Sarah, at first. She was a wild ride, that one. Full of life, ready for anything. Well, almost anything, and for that, he had to marry her. Allie had come along right away, and though Sarah had wanted a ranch full of kids, Caleb didn't want any more squalling babies. It had taken more than three years for the next one.

Caleb breathed deep of the early evening air. _Well, that's all over._ But the truth was, in all these years, he'd never found another woman to compare with Sarah.

Before he knew it, Caleb was standing in front of the porch. So familiar, and so different. The porch swing was stirring in tiny circles in the breeze, but Caleb couldn't bring himself to sit there. He and Sarah had courted in a swing just like this one, and though he would never admit it to anyone, it hurt him sometimes to think about it.

"Don't move."

Caleb knew that voice well. The last time he'd heard it, he was being thrown out of the ranch house on his rear.

Hearing those particular words made a man want to show his empty hands, so Caleb did just that. He put his arms out to his sides and wiggled his fingers, showing he was unarmed. Then he turned around.

_Constable Nathan Grant._ Nine years older than the last time he'd seen him, looking more confident, more at ease with the uniform than he'd been just out of training. Still too tall and too wiry for Caleb to ever think he had a chance against him, gun or not.

But right now there was a gun. Nathan was holding it and it was pointed right at Caleb. There was no tremor, no nervousness, and Caleb felt that all he would have to do is say _Boo_ and a bullet would be on its way.

It was the look in Nathan's eyes that truly terrified Caleb at this moment. Those ice-blue eyes under the dark brows, unflinching in their stare, transparent in their loathing of him. Those eyes looked like they'd seen some hard times since Caleb last looked into them, and Caleb also knew that all they would have to do is go soft and they'd be Sarah's eyes.

"Hey, Nathan," Caleb said, wiggling his fingers again in an attempt at a wave.

"What are you doing here, Caleb?" Nathan said, just softly enough to run icicles down Caleb's spine.

Caleb attempted a laugh unsuccessfully. "Well, I'd like to tell you that, but I think I'd prefer to do it in town where there are other folks around." Caleb looked at the thick stand of trees behind them. "Not out here where a body could be lost and buried without anyone knowing it."

Nathan's eyes narrowed. "And you really can't know how attractive that idea is to me right now."

Caleb took a deep breath. "But... you know... that would be a mistake, because there are people," Caleb inclined his head toward the town, "Who know I'm here. And one of them, the Judge, even knows why." He raised his eyebrows, "So, were I to go missing suddenly, you might find yourself on the wrong side of those bars in your jailhouse."

Nathan took a moment before he spoke so that he would be in complete control. "You've talked to Judge Avery? About what?" Nathan said.

Caleb was feeling more secure now, and he sat down on the edge of the porch, still keeping his hands at his sides.

_"Get. Off. My. Porch."_ Nathan said with icy steel in his voice.

Caleb popped up as if he were on a spring. "No problem. Sorry. I thought this might be yours." He smiled at Nathan and narrowed his eyes. "Not very original, is it?"

Nathan moved over to Caleb and, still holding the gun on him, frisked him for a weapon. Once he was certain Caleb was unarmed, he holstered his pistol and grabbed him by the arm roughly.

"Let's go talk to the Judge," Nathan growled. He whistled and Bear came to him from the patch of new grass he was enjoying. Nathan took hold of the reins and the three of them walked into town.

"Nathan!"

He'd just tied Bear to the rail when he heard Elizabeth. She was running to him with a huge smile on her face.

"Stay there, Elizabeth," he said, more roughly than he intended. The thought of her being anywhere near Caleb Butler brought out an anger he'd thought he'd mastered long ago. And then he saw Allie coming out of the dress shop.

While Elizabeth stood, confused, rooted to her spot outside the shop, Allie stepped over to her and did something that made Nathan's blood run cold. Before she saw Nathan, Allie waved to Caleb and said, casually, "Hi!"

By now, Bill had stepped out of his office, and it took him very little time to assess the situation. He nodded to Nathan and walked down to take Caleb's arm. "Step into my office, Mr. Butler."

Nathan walked quickly to Elizabeth and Allie and took them into his arms. "I'm sorry," he said to Elizabeth, kissing her and holding her tightly. To Allie he said, "How do you know that man, Allie?"

Allie frowned, and looked at Elizabeth and then back to Nathan. "That's Mr. Baker. He said he likes churches and so he came to look at ours. He walked us back from school yesterday." Allie could see the darkness growing in his uncle's face, and she looked again at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth said, "Nathan, do you know Mr. Baker?" She remembered her feelings of the day before, and asked, "What has he done?"

Nathan kept hold of Elizabeth while he turned to Allie. He made sure he spoke very softly and kindly to her. "Allie, I know it's hard for you, when adults say that there are things you can't know. I need you to trust me right now, and to trust that we will tell you the minute we can, okay? For now, can you please go back into Dottie's and sit with Rosemary? We'll come get you just as soon as we can."

Allie thought for a moment and then nodded. Nathan kissed her cheek. "Thank you." She started to turn, and Nathan held her. "I love you, Allie." She smiled and said, perplexed, "I love you too, Uncle Nathan." Then she turned and went back to the shop.

Elizabeth had been standing silently through all this. Nathan turned and when he was sure Allie was out of earshot, he said softly. "It's not Mr. Baker, it's Caleb Butler. That's Allie's father."

Elizabeth gasped. "Oh, no." Her eyes turned desperate. "And why is he here, Nathan?"

Nathan looked at her and breathed deeply. "I can only think of one reason."

Remembering the conversation of the day before, Elizabeth said, "He knows we're getting married, he knows that's our house, and I had a feeling yesterday that he knows who Jack Thornton was."

Nathan narrowed his eyes darkly. "I know Caleb. He doesn't want Allie, Elizabeth. He wants money." Looking toward Bill's office, he said, "Let's go find out how much."

As they walked in, Bill was talking. "Well, I can tell you one thing, Mr. Butler, we're going to be very civilized about all this, even though we're in, as you so colorfully put it, _a backwater town in the middle of nowhere._ I can also tell you that's not a very convincing argument for taking a young girl away from the only family she's ever known."

Nathan and Elizabeth stood silently in the doorway. Bill knew they were there, but Caleb didn't.

"I'm her father. Isn't that all you need to know?" Caleb's voice took on a theatrical tone. "I've been looking for my baby girl and I've finally found her. I lost her mother, Judge Avery, I can't lose Allie too."

Elizabeth could actually feel the heat emanating from Nathan. She turned to him and put her hand gently on his face. Leaning up, she whispered almost silently in his ear, "What's best for Allie, Nathan? What will help us keep her?"

She felt him breathe deeply and saw a calm come into the features of his face. He kissed her forehead and said, "Thank you." Then, holding Elizabeth's hand, he walked into Bill's office.

Without looking at Caleb, Nathan said, "What's the next step, Bill? How does this proceed?"

"I get my daughter, that's how..." Caleb started to say.

"Shush," Bill said, forcefully to Caleb. "Speak when you're spoken to, Mr. Butler, or I'll have you held in contempt of court."

Caleb frowned. "This is your office..."

"It's a courtroom if I say it's a courtroom. It's either this or we clear the saloon, and at this hour there will be lots of people none too happy about that turn of events."

Bill turned to Nathan and Elizabeth. "Nathan, to your knowledge, is this Allie's father?"

Nathan exhaled sharply. "Yes."

Bill sighed sadly and shook his head. "Well, then, I have to tell you something you're not going to want to hear. If Caleb Butler is Alice Rebecca..." he looked up at Nathan, "...Grant's?" Nathan nodded. "If he is her natural father, then unless..." And at this point he looked hard at Nathan, "...unless you can show evidence why he would not be a fit and proper father to his daughter, the court will need to grant Mr. Butler's request to render your guardianship null and void."

Nathan stood tall. "And how would you prefer I show that evidence? May I testify?"

Bill frowned. "Just you, or are there other witnesses?"

"There are other witnesses. My mother and the head hand at our ranch in Airdrie. They have seen Caleb Butler physically abuse Allie's mother numerous times." Nathan's voice quavered slightly. "And I have seen him shake Allie violently when she was only three years old."

Elizabeth felt a tear course down her cheek, but she didn't make a sound. She held on to Nathan's arm as if for dear life.

Caleb stood up from his seat and started to protest.

"Sit. Down." Bill said loudly. He narrowed his eyes and looked coldly at Caleb. "Do you deny that these accusations are true?"

"Of course I do!" Caleb said vehemently. "That whole family is against me. You can't take their word against mine."

Bill was quiet for a long time, and then he leaned forward and looked Caleb in the eye. "What is it that you want, Mr. Butler? The law is the law and I have to follow it, but I have my doubts that it's your daughter you want." He just waited, silently, for Caleb to answer.

Caleb was thinking about how long it would take for Rebecca and Charlie to arrive, and how long a court case would take, and that didn't mesh with the one day he had left before his name would be flying across the wires as a military deserter. He had no doubt that Judge Avery was asking around about him, and that would not only lose him the money but it would land him in jail. For a very long time.

Maybe best to take what he could get and move on.

"You know, Judge, I'm starting to see that this might not be a bad place for a girl like Allie." He nodded seriously. "I do travel a lot for business, and, well, I could be convinced," Caleb said, frowning, "to accept some compensation for the loss of my daughter..."

Nathan said softly, "How much, Caleb?"

Caleb raised his eyebrows, weighing what he could expect in a situation like this. He looked at Nathan, and then at Elizabeth. "I know who her family is, Nathan. The Thatchers? Didn't _you_ fall into a pot of honey," he sneered.

Elizabeth held Nathan's arm as she felt him flinch. She turned and looked at him and said again, softly, "What's best for Allie, Nathan?"

Nathan regained his control. "You know what, Caleb? You don't get to choose. I will get $500 out of the bank first thing tomorrow morning. In exchange, you will sign a document that Judge Avery will have drawn up that says not only do you relinquish any rights you have to my niece, Alice Rebecca Grant, but that you will agree, under penalty of imprisonment, that you'll never attempt to see or speak to her again."

Caleb tried to protest. "With all the money you have, you want to give me..."

Nathan raised his hand. "Or," he said ominously. "We can wait for my mother and Charlie to arrive, and during that time, we'll see what Judge Avery's contacts in law enforcement have to say about your history with them."

Caleb looked from Bill to Elizabeth to Nathan, and then he slumped and sighed loudly. "I'll take the $500."

Nathan smiled. "I thought you just might."


	38. Chapter 38

Bill picked up his gavel. "Looks like we have this all worked out," he said, smiling. The relief was clear on his face; the decision was no longer in his hands and they had reached the best possible outcome.

He rapped the gavel lightly on his desk. "Case dismissed." He raised his eyebrows at Elizabeth. "My two favorite words these days."

Elizabeth was breathing again, but the accompanying pain in her heart at what she had just heard was still lingering. She looked at Caleb, her eyes filling with tears, and wondered how any human being could hurt a child.

Nathan still had hold of her as he spoke evenly to Caleb. "Tomorrow morning, I will meet you at the train station. I'll hand you the money once you're on the train going west. Right now, I'd suggest you start packing."

Caleb had transformed from cocky to sullen, and Elizabeth watched as his true colors became evident. He was no longer the fast-talking flatterer. When he stood up and looked at her, his contempt for her was clear in his eyes. He made a surly bow, and said, with dripping sarcasm, "Mrs. _Thornton."_

Nathan narrowed his eyes at Caleb and said icily, "Go."

Bill stood and said, "Let me escort you to the saloon, Mr. Butler. We wouldn't want you taking any detours, would we?"

When they went out the door, Elizabeth felt her knees weaken. She exhaled and leaned against Nathan, and then he turned and took her into his arms. She was crying softly into his red serge. "You never told me," she said.

Nathan stroked her hair. "Why would I?" He pulled away and looked into her eyes. He rubbed his thumb gently across her cheek, wiping away a tear. "It would only hurt you, and what's done is done. All we can do is make Allie's life the best it can be now," he said softly.

In a broken voice, Elizabeth said, "But you can't hold all that inside you, Nathan. All those terrible memories. You must be carrying around so much pain."

He smiled sadly down at her. "And you're not?" He sighed. "It's a part of what makes us who we are, Elizabeth. Those memories will remind me to always be there for Allie."

Elizabeth reached her hand up and touched his cheek. "And you have been." She shook her head lightly and wiped away the last of her tears. "That horrible man. I had a feeling about him yesterday."

Nathan took Elizabeth over to the chairs in front of Bill's desk and they sat down. "When Allie said he walked with you from school to town, it was like my life was folding in on itself somehow. I didn't think I would ever see him again, at the same time I worried he might come for Allie someday."

Elizabeth nodded. "The good thing is that now you know he won't. He's signing away his right to ever see her again."

Nathan squeezed her hand gently. "Thank you for calming me down. I think you knew how close I was to... really losing my temper." Nathan sighed. "Which would _not_ have helped."

Elizabeth looked resolutely into Nathan's eyes. "What about Allie? How will we tell her?"

Nathan frowned and said quickly, "We won't. He doesn't deserve that, Elizabeth. He doesn't deserve for her to know him."

Elizabeth paused. "I know how you feel, Nathan. But if we don't tell her, this becomes a secret that we keep. Secrets don't work well in families, and this is a big one. Her father has essentially... " Elizabeth almost choked on the word, "... _sold_ her to us. She spoke to him on our walk from the school, she saw us all just now in the street. What if someday she sees a photo, or he comes back into her life? How do we justify not telling her that this has happened?"

Nathan looked at the floor. "It will hurt her."

"Yes, it may do that. But she's growing up, and we can't protect her from everything. I've talked with her a lot about her feelings. She wants to know why things are the way they are. We need to let her try to understand."

Nathan sighed and looked at her for a long moment. "Okay," Nathan said. "Let's get Allie and Jack home, and we can talk there."

As they stood to go, Bill came back into the office.

"Well, I didn't tuck him in, but he's there. Whether he stays there is another thing entirely."

Nathan said, "He wants his money in the morning. He'll stay until he gets that." Reaching his hand out, Nathan said, "Thank you, Bill." He smiled. "You really are a fine Judge."

Bill laughed softly, shaking Nathan's hand. "One foot in front of the other. I never know how it's gonna turn out. This happened to be a good one." He hugged Elizabeth, and then looked at both of them. "And I think I'll bring the adoption papers personally to Airdrie. I'm in the mood for a wedding."

Elizabeth threw her arms around him. "Really? We would love that!" She frowned a little. "But if you and Nathan are both gone, who's the law in town?" she asked, smiling.

Bill thought for a moment, then he turned to Nathan. "What would you think if I deputized Lucas? He knows his way around a firearm. It's just for a day or so."

Nathan laughed. "It might go to his head," he said, "But I think Lucas is a good choice. We'll see what he's made of."

Bill frowned for a moment. "I'm trying to imagine Lucas in the red serge." He shook his head. "It's not really working for me."

Both Elizabeth and Nathan shook their heads with him. "Nope," Elizabeth said. She leaned into Nathan and he hugged her tightly. They locked eyes and had another one of their public-private moments.

Bill raised his eyebrows. "All right you two, take it outside," he said, smiling. "I have paperwork to draw up for tomorrow morning. I'll meet you at the train station with it, Nathan."

Nathan smiled. "Glad you'll be there for backup, Bill."

Nathan and Elizabeth thanked him again and went out into the clear night. They walked, hand in hand, down to the dress shop to pick up Allie and Jack from Rosemary, and then they headed home.

Once Jack was asleep, Elizabeth and Nathan sat down with Allie.

Elizabeth said, "You're growing up, Allie, and we know that you want to understand things. Something happened tonight that we need to tell you about, but it might be hard for you to hear. We're here to talk with you about any questions you have, tonight or any time, okay?"

Allie nodded. "Does it have to do with that man? Mr. Baker?"

"Yes," Nathan said. "But that's not his real name. His name is Caleb Butler." Nathan took a deep breath. "He's your father."

Both Elizabeth and Nathan watched Allie carefully. They could see the warring emotions of shock, disbelief and hurt quickly cross her face, and she breathed a little faster.

After a moment she spoke. "Why didn't he tell me who he was yesterday?" she asked.

Elizabeth said, "We think he was waiting for your Uncle Nathan to get back into town."

Allie looked at Nathan. "What did he say to you?"

Nathan said, "At first, he said that he wanted to take you with him, Allie."

For the first time, Allie looked truly distressed, and she said, quickly, "I don't want to go with him. I want to stay here with you."

Elizabeth reached her arm around Allie, and Nathan took her hand, saying, "You're not going anywhere, Allie. You're staying with us, always, for as long as you want. He... changed his mind."

Allie frowned and thought for a moment. She looked at her uncle. "You knew him, didn't you? When I was little? I've asked you about him but you've always just said it was complicated. Why did he leave me with you?"

Nathan took a deep breath. "After your mother died, he must not have felt like he could take care of you. We didn't really talk about it. He just left."

"But you didn't mind that he left, because you didn't like him, did you?"

"No, I didn't like him," Nathan said, simply.

"Why?" Allie asked.

"Because..." Nathan said, trying to find the right words. "... he didn't treat you or your mother very well."

"Did he hurt us?" Allie said, her face completely open.

"Why do you ask that, Allie?" Nathan said softly.

Allie looked down at her hands. "I don't remember Sarah at all, and you've said that she loved me very much. But Mr. Baker... my... father... Caleb?" Nathan nodded and Allie continued, "When I saw him tonight he looked different, kind of scared, or angry, not like he did when we were walking yesterday. And I felt like maybe I knew him," Allie said, hesitating. "So, did he? Hurt us?"

Nathan's voice was almost a whisper. "Yes."

Allie nodded slowly. "I thought so," she said softly.

"What do you remember, Allie?" Elizabeth asked tenderly.

Allie frowned. "When I was in the shop with Rosemary, I was just sitting with Jack, and I was wondering what he thinks sometimes. You know," Allie looked at Elizabeth, "When he looks so hard into your eyes?"

Elizabeth laughed softly. "I know _exactly_ what you mean. I wonder the same thing sometimes."

Allie continued, "I was just looking at Jack, and I was thinking that I was that age once, and I got a kind of picture in my head of Grandma pulling me away from someone, a man, and even though it didn't make any sense, I thought of Mr. Baker. Caleb."

Nathan exhaled. "Oh, Allie," he said softly. "I'm so sorry."

Allie said, slowly, "It's okay, Uncle Nathan. It felt really far away. It didn't hurt. I've always felt safe with you, like you wouldn't let anything happen to me."

Elizabeth's arm was still around Allie, and she held her tightly. In truth, Allie was taking all this better than Elizabeth herself was. Elizabeth felt if she even spoke, the tears would start to fall, and they might never stop.

Clear-eyed, Allie looked at Nathan. "Why did he change his mind? About wanting to take me?"

Nathan was all in at this point. He knew that Elizabeth had been right about telling Allie. This needed to happen and he'd put it off longer than he should have because of his own fears. "He needs money, Allie. We offered him money and he took it. I'm giving it to him tomorrow when he gets on the train. He's promised never to come back."

Allie took a deep breath, and now there was just a trace of tears in her eyes. "You would never do that, Uncle Nathan. Take money and promise not to see me again."

"No, I wouldn't," Nathan said, his voice breaking. "I never would, Allie." He closed the small space between them and the three of them held each other. Some barrier had been broken, and Nathan felt closer to Allie than ever before. He knew that it was better that she knew and it was good that he'd told her. And he knew that from this day forward he would feel he could talk to her about anything.

Nathan thought about his own father. If Archie had been honest with him about his own struggles with gambling and his fears about providing for his family when Nathan was thirteen, would that have been too much of a burden on Nathan's young shoulders, or would it have helped them move together rather than apart? Would things have been different between them? He wished he had been given the chance to try to understand.

Allie wiped her eyes on her sleeve and looked at both of them. "Everything's the same, right? You're still getting married?"

Elizabeth and Nathan both smiled and nodded. "Yes, absolutely," Elizabeth said.

Allie said, "That's the only thing I was afraid of, when you said there were things you couldn't tell me. I was afraid it was about that."

Nathan smoothed Allie's hair at the same time he looked at Elizabeth with soft, blue eyes. "Nothing can change that. We're getting married and we're all going to be a family in our house by the pond." He looked back at Allie. "And when we're in Airdrie, if you have more questions you want to ask about Sarah or Caleb, we'll let Grandma and Charlie know that they can tell you whatever you want to know."

Nathan put his hand on Allie's shoulder. "I've never meant to keep things from you, I only meant to protect you from being hurt. You're grown now, and we won't always be able to protect you, but we'll always be honest."

Elizabeth said, "And we'll always be a place you can come to for comfort when you do get hurt. Please remember that, Allie. We love you very much."

Allie hugged them both tightly. She felt very grown up, and it did hurt just a little. But she felt safe, and loved, and home.


	39. Chapter 39

"Elizabeth!" Florence called.

"We need to talk with you!" Molly said from across the street, walking quickly with Florence.

Elizabeth smiled and turned toward them. She, Jack and Allie had stopped off at Abigail's after being at Dottie's for their final fittings of their wedding clothes.

"Good morning!" Elizabeth said to both of them. It was Saturday, and in exactly one week, she and Nathan would be getting married.

Allie was carrying a basket with coffee, apple juice and sweet rolls for Nathan, Hickam, Kevin and Lee, who were installing the windows and doors in their house by the pond.

"We have an idea..." Florence started breathlessly, once she had reached Elizabeth.

Molly finished, "...And we think you'll like it!"

Elizabeth looked at Allie. "Do you mind taking the basket out to the house while I talk with Molly and Florence? We want to make sure the coffee is still hot for our hard workers," she said, smiling. "Thank you, Allie."

"Sure!" Allie said, already on her way.

Florence said, "Since Fiona is going to Airdrie..."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Oh, is that certain? Wonderful. Last I heard, she wasn't sure."

Molly said, "Yes, she's going with Kevin."

"Kevin's coming? Oh my goodness. I really didn't know that!" Elizabeth said.

"And Ned as well, so I'll be covering the switchboard _and_ the Mercantile," Florence said.

"With my Rosaleen's help," Molly corrected her quickly.

"Of course, yes, with Rosaleen." Florence finally took a breath, something she hadn't done since she'd first called out to Elizabeth.

Jack was on Elizabeth's hip, and he looked as if he was watching a tennis match, turning his head avidly back and forth between them.

"And you must know that Bill is closing Abigail's for the weekend, because he and Clara and Jesse will be in Airdrie too..."

Elizabeth had small frown lines between her eyebrows. She was frantically trying to remember exactly how many bedrooms there were in Rebecca's ranch house.

Molly laughed and leaned toward Elizabeth. "And Lucas is already telling those of us who are staying here that they'd better mind their manners because he'll be in charge!"

Florence said, "Not that there will be many of us left!"

Jack wanted down, so Elizabeth set him down on the boardwalk. Molly took his hand and they all started walking toward the pond.

Elizabeth said, "You said you had an idea?" In truth, her head always spun a little when talking to Molly and Florence. Because they finished each other's sentences, they seemed to be able to say twice as much in half the time.

Molly said, "We don't think you should go rushing off to your wedding with only one day to spare."

"So," Florence said, "We would like to teach the children..."

"...Together," Molly said, "For the whole week!"

Elizabeth turned to Florence. "But I thought," she chose her words carefully, "You don't like teaching?"

Florence shook her head. "That's only because I didn't like doing it _alone."_ She lifted her chin. "With Molly's help, I think I'd be just fine."

"So," Molly said, "If you can give us a lesson plan, you can leave tomorrow if you want."

Elizabeth was a little distracted because she was counting. _Rosemary, Lee, Julie, Bill, Fiona, Kevin, Hickam, Clara, Jesse, Henry, Faith, Carson, Ned, the Tuckers, Laura, the Hayfords, the Montgomerys, Opal's family... Oh, definitely not enough bedrooms._

Elizabeth thought she was only speaking in her head, but she must have said it out loud. "How are so many people able to come on the train?"

Florence raised her eyebrows. "Oh, you didn't hear? Henry Gowen bought train tickets for anyone who didn't feel they could afford them. They're all coming out together on Friday. Starting the party early!"

Molly frowned, "And we wish we could come, Elizabeth, but really, someone has to run the town!" She and Florence laughed together, "And who better than us?"

Elizabeth was still having trouble wrapping her mind around all this. "And have you heard where people are staying?"

"Oh!" Florence said, "I heard Cat Montgomery on the telephone with Faith. She said there's a boarding house in Airdrie that's very reasonable, and they're offering a special rate for the Grant wedding."

"And some people are just going to camp out under the stars on Nathan's land! Make a weekend of it!" Molly said.

Elizabeth was remembering when she and Nathan were riding back from the pergola after he'd proposed. _Maybe it will just be us,_ they'd thought, since it was so far away.

Florence frowned and took Elizabeth's arm. "Are you alright, Elizabeth? You look a little pale."

"I'm just in a little bit of shock, Florence." Then Elizabeth brightened and smiled at her, happily. "Actually, I'm feeling _very_ loved. I had no idea so many people would make such a long trip to see us get married."

Molly was still holding Jack's hand, and now she took Elizabeth's arm as well. "Oh, sweetheart. Do you doubt how much you and Nathan are loved in this town? And your dear Allie and our little Jack? I'm so sorry _we_ won't be there," she said, looking around to Florence, "But we feel like we're helping out by holding down the fort, so to speak." She squeezed Elizabeth's arm.

From Elizabeth's other side Florence said, "And Lucas and Gustav can't set up that whole celebration at the saloon by themselves for when you get back!"

Molly patted Elizabeth's hand. "When you all get off the train on Sunday afternoon, we will be there to welcome you home. Constable and Mrs. Nathan Grant." Molly sighed.

Now Elizabeth really did need to catch her breath. _One week._

She thought she must have been walking around in a fog, because up until about a week and a half ago, she really did think it would be just the six of them; with Allie, Jack, Rebecca and Charlie joining them at the pergola. Then Rosemary and Lee, then Bill, and Julie got in touch saying she wouldn't miss it and would take the train directly to Airdrie... and obviously the idea had gained some traction since then.

She knew that although there was no telephone in Airdrie, Nathan had been communicating with his mother and Charlie by letter and occasionally by wire. Nathan had obviously been handling a lot of the room and transportation details while she fussed about her dress and Allie's, designed Jack's clothes with Rosemary, and exchanged letters with Rebecca about food and flowers.

And Nathan had also been working on their house nonstop when he wasn't making his rounds.

Elizabeth smiled as they walked toward the house. Nathan was holding a window from the outside, while Lee secured it from inside the house. The roof was on, all the walls were up, and today was doors and windows.

_It's such a beautiful house,_ she thought. Five bedrooms, a ranch kitchen, living room with a large stone fireplace, and a sunroom with an extra stove. Together, she and Nathan still didn't have nearly enough furniture to fill it, but they would do that little by little as fall and winter set in.

It was a house built for family, Elizabeth thought. Roomy and ready to grow into, but not in the least ostentatious. It was the opposite of the large Hamilton homes she remembered. The porch rail was a design she had wanted, still in branch form, stripped to the rustic wood with a lattice of the same so that Jack would be safe there. In fact, the whole house looked almost as if it had sprung fully formed from the forest. When they painted, they had decided against the traditional white. They would use tan and brown with green trim, so it blended rather than clashed with its surroundings.

A natural road had begun to show through the meadow just from the activity of bringing out lumber, shingles, stone and stoves. Already, Lee and Rosemary were able to drive their car easily to the house.

Later in the summer they would build a small barn and paddock out back for Bear, Sergeant and Sarah. Next spring, they would design the small house where Rebecca, Charlie, or Julie could stay when they visited and wanted to have quiet and privacy.

Elizabeth's vegetable garden was already in full bloom, and lately she and Allie had been walking home from school by way of it to pick tomatoes, squash, lettuce and beans for dinner. Often they had so many tomatoes they would pass them out to people on their way to the row houses.

Looking to the right, Elizabeth could see the posts marking the land that Lee and Rosemary would buy when all the wedding commotion was over. Of course Rosemary had the interior fully designed before Lee even had plans finalized.

"Oh, my," Molly said. "What a fine house this is, Elizabeth."

Florence sighed. "Just lovely."

Escaping Molly's grip, Jack ran to the porch, which now had steps and the wood railing. He was laughing and calling out, _"Natan!"_ The window Nathan had been holding was in place now, and he turned and scooped Jack up. Before putting him on his shoulders, Nathan hugged him and looked at Elizabeth, his face suffused with joy.

On either side of her, Molly and Florence squeezed her arms, seeing the unbridled happiness in front of them. They actually sighed in unison.

"We're going to owe you a lot of dinners, Mike," Elizabeth called out to Hickam, who was putting the finishing touches on their front door.

Mike said, "You're keeping us fed pretty well already, Elizabeth. Thanks for the coffee and Clara's sweet rolls." To illustrate, he held half a roll up in the air and within moments, it was gone.

"Hi, Lee!" Elizabeth said, climbing the porch steps.

"Hey, Elizabeth," he said, muffled by the closed window. He opened it from the inside and poked his head out, smiling broadly. "House is coming along, isn't it?"

Elizabeth sighed. "It certainly is. We can't thank you enough for your help."

Lee laughed. "Oh, I'm expecting to get all this back when we start building next door." He looked around at Kevin and Hickam. "Don't put your hammers away, boys, because we're starting right after the shindig in Airdrie."

Florence and Molly had walked over to look at the vegetable garden. Elizabeth moved closer to Nathan holding Jack on his shoulders. "Good morning," she whispered to him, kissing him gently on the neck and tugging playfully on Jack's little leg.

"One more week of freedom, angel. You still have time to change your mind," Nathan said softly, moving around to kiss her on the lips. They were in a small alcove between windows.

Elizabeth sighed against his lips. "Sorry. You're stuck with me. I'm holding you to your promise to marry me."

Nathan tenderly kissed her again. "Well, if I _have_ to." He put his arm easily around her shoulders and they walked to the front of the porch.

"How did you sleep?" Elizabeth asked.

"Very well. But not very long. I couldn't wait to get out here and start. And," he said, pouring another cup of coffee from the thermos Allie had brought, "Thanks for the coffee." He took a sip and smiled.

Elizabeth looked up at the front of the house. "It's perfect, Nathan. It already feels like home."

He tightened his grip on her waist. "And none too soon." Looking down at her, he laughed softly, "I think Allie spends more nights with you than she does with me these days."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows playfully. "We have girl stuff to talk about. Wedding stuff. You would be _so_ bored."

Nathan's eyes were very blue in the sun coming up over the trees and the roof of their house. "Oh, not _this_ wedding. This one fascinates me." He kissed her on the cheek and pulled Jack down into his arms.

Elizabeth said, "Speaking of which, do you know how _many_ people are coming? You remember when we thought it might be just us?"

Nathan laughed. "It's the snowball effect." He raised his voice so Lee could hear him. "It started with Lee and Rosemary, and now everyone is coming to Airdrie."

Lee smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Rosie and I know how to give a party! What can we say?"

"Did I hear my name?" Rosemary said, walking up the steps behind them. She moved between Elizabeth and Nathan and hugged them both, with the added benefit of getting a big smile from Jack. "I brought sandwiches!"

Kevin came out smiling through the finished front door. "We just had breakfast, and now here's lunch. You ladies feed us well."

Elizabeth laughed. "It's not just out of the kindness of our hearts, Kevin. It's to keep you here, toiling away."

Taking the sandwich Rosemary handed him, Kevin nodded. "It's working! Thanks!" he said, going back into the house through the front door.

Rosemary said to Nathan, "Can I steal her away? I have to look at that fireplace again. I'm getting ideas."

Lee poked his head back out of the window and said to Nathan, "She gets ideas, I see dollar signs."

Rosemary made a face at him. "Lee Coulter, I am decorating our house on a budget. You'll see," she said, closing the window from the outside.

Lucas' voice came from the porch steps. "Hey, Kevin, Bill saw us coming out here and wanted us to let you know his horse threw a shoe this morning. Not urgent, but he needs to ride out this afternoon." He was carrying a large pot, and Jesse and Clara were behind him, carrying bowls, spoons and napkins.

Nathan laughed and said, "What's all this?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Well, if everyone is out here, there's no one in the saloon to eat Gustav's goulash, is there?" He smiled back at Nathan. "Just being neighborly. _And_ I want to see how the house is coming along."

Elizabeth said, "Thank you, Lucas, that's so kind of you. We have a table inside that we can clear off. Just go right through the front door," she said, laughing, "Which was _just_ this minute put in."

Elizabeth hugged Clara and Jesse and pointed the way.

Turning back to Nathan, Elizabeth gave him a look of wonder. She whispered, "Is there anyone left in town?"

Nathan handed Jack to Elizabeth and whispered back, "I have noticed lately that when we work on the house, we gather a crowd." His eyes softened. "Have I told you recently how much I love Hope Valley?"

"Every day." Elizabeth smiled, looking around at their dearest friends sharing food and talking happily in groups.

Out on the road, Elizabeth could see Henry Gowen and Bill walking together toward the house.

She looked back at Nathan. "Just another day on the Grant homestead."

Nathan exhaled softly. "We dreamed of this, Elizabeth. And here it is." Looking up at their house, he said, "Congratulations. You've made a believer out of me." He kissed her softly on the forehead. "Dreams really do come true."


	40. Chapter 40

Nathan and Elizabeth boarded the train from Hope Valley to Airdrie on Wednesday with Allie and Jack. Allie would lose two half-days of school because Molly and Florence had already decided that Friday would be spent in arts and crafts and outdoor games. There would be fewer children in class so their reasoning was that they didn't want the children who were attending the wedding to get behind.

Elizabeth suspected Florence and Molly thought they might perhaps need a break even more than the children would.

When they'd left their new house it was livable, but not very comfortable. There were no interior doors, the floors were unpolished rough wood, but the kitchen and stoves would work. As they were still not married and were living in their separate row houses, they hadn't moved much furniture in, and in any case, no rugs would go to the new house until the floors were finished.

As they rode the train to Airdrie, Nathan was disappointed they hadn't gotten further.

"But it's a house!" Elizabeth said, "We wanted to camp. Now we have a house to do it in."

"Finally!" Allie said. Then she turned to Jack and said, "You'll like camping, Jack. You eat marshmallows and chocolate and you can get as dirty as you want!" Jack was mesmerized, listening to her every word. "And then, you can sleep looking up at the stars and there are more than you ever thought could fit in the sky."

Elizabeth smiled. "Bravo, Allie. That's lovely!"

Allie immediately pulled her journal out of her bag. She had started it when Elizabeth told her that when she has lots of feelings, she writes them down.

Allie's journal was that to her, but it was also a place she drew pictures, wrote quotes that she liked, where she saved words that she wanted to put into a story someday, and also descriptions, like the one she just used with Jack. She had gone from not having a journal, to it being her most valuable treasure. She had it with her always, and sometimes she would let Elizabeth read parts of it.

Allie and Jack were, as usual, joined at the hip. And now that Jack was getting around more quickly, Allie found herself being followed everywhere. He would tug on her skirt, saying "Lee," over and over, and she got so she always looked when she turned and stepped for fear of trampling him. Allie loved Jack as much as he idolized her.

To Nathan and Elizabeth, watching them together was better than any other pastime they could name. They would often find themselves sitting in silence, just watching and listening. Then one or the other would realize it and look at the other, and they'd laugh and move on with whatever task they were trying to complete.

But now, on the train, there was nothing else to do. Elizabeth had often found train travel tedious, but she didn't have this lovely caravan of people with her then. They were endlessly entertaining.

While Allie read and Jack napped, she and Nathan talked. Elizabeth wondered if they would ever run out of things to talk about, but she doubted it. And it would make her laugh now to remember how hard it was to get Nathan to string two words together at the beginning.

As they neared Airdrie, Elizabeth said brightly, "I can't _wait_ to see your mother again." She was leaning against him in her favorite spot, with her back against his chest and his voice close to her ear. "And Charlie," she said. "And Toby and Rio and Sunset..."

Nathan laughed. "You said Toby first, which means he's your favorite. I won't tell Rio," he said as she turned to protest. "And you are clearly enamored of Airdrie and the ranch and... Well, that's what we Grants do, we get under your skin." He kissed her neck, tickling her, and she giggled.

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Yes, to all of the above."

After a moment, she continued dreamily with her list. "And the swing, and oh, that _bed._ So soft that only your mother's pancakes and that _persistent_ rooster can get me out of it in the morning."

Nathan put his arms around her. "She's missed you too." Nathan smiled, whispering, "Of all the girls I've brought home, she likes you the best."

Elizabeth turned around, her eyes narrowed. "Your mother has already told me that you haven't brought a girl home to meet her since you were sixteen."

Nathan grimaced. "Caught. You two are definitely too close if she's telling you my secrets."

They sat in silence for a time, watching as the wide open fields turned into a farm here or there, and then a ranch, then a scattering of telegraph wires and water towers, and they knew they were nearing Airdrie.

"Are you tired?" Nathan asked her.

"No, in fact, I was thinking I'd love to take a ride." She sat up and started gathering her things. "Maybe to the pergola?"

Nathan smiled. "Does it surprise you to know that I was going to suggest that exact thing?"

Elizabeth smiled sweetly. "Not a bit." She reached over to the other bench and gently picked Jack up. He was sound asleep and his soft, warm face on her neck was like a little slice of heaven. She leaned back and sighed. "He's getting so big, Nathan. I won't be able to do this for very much longer."

Nathan bent and kissed the back of his head as he slept. "Mom kept saying in her letters that she wants to bake cookies with Allie and Jack as soon as we get there. She's planning on feeding a Mountie regiment this weekend, and she thought she might as well get started." Nathan rubbed Jack's back absentmindedly. "We can take a ride while they do that."

Allie had already pulled together her books and Jack's toys and put them in a cloth bag. Then she put her nose on the train window and tried to guess when the station was going to come into view.

Elizabeth smiled as the train slowed and she saw Rebecca and Charlie in almost the identical places they were the last time. Today, Elizabeth knew it was Nugget and Sugar who pulled the wagon, and that they had tethered Buddy at the rear for Allie to ride back to the ranch.

Everything was familiar, and Elizabeth found that she could already hear Rebecca's voice, feel the soft scratch of Charlie's beard in a hug, and even smell the soup that she knew was always on the back of the stove in the ranch house, ready for weary travelers.

She suddenly turned to Nathan and hugged him as they came to a stop. "I'm so glad we're getting married here!" she said, joyously.

Nathan laughed, "So am I," holding her tightly. "And I can tell you someone who is even happier than we are about it. She's about to give you a hug. I'm hoping no bones will be broken."

Nathan tried not to take it personally that his mother hugged Elizabeth, Jack and Allie before she managed to get to him. In fact, he loved watching it happen. Rebecca was in rare form, beside herself with joy about this marriage and this family.

Jack woke up to Rebecca's kisses and then spent the rest of the ride to the ranch on her lap in front, sitting next to Charlie, who let him hold the reins like Nathan had the last time they'd been in this wagon.

"You painted the wagon," Elizabeth said from the bench where she was sitting with Nathan, right behind Rebecca, Jack and Charlie. "You didn't have to do that, Charlie."

Charlie turned to Elizabeth and laughed. "Oh, yes I did. Someone wasn't going to rest until I did." He looked affectionately at Rebecca.

Putting her chin up, Rebecca said, "Doesn't hurt to spruce things up a little. We're here like a couple of old shoes all the time, we don't even see it anymore." She lifted Jack up and spoke right to him. "But we're having a _wedding_, aren't we?"

When they arrived at the house, it was getting to be late afternoon and Nathan wanted to get out to the pergola. Elizabeth saw Nathan nod to Charlie, and Charlie nodded back. She looked quizzically at Nathan and he said, "Just ranch business."

After getting Jack settled with Allie and Rebecca in the kitchen, the cookie making began in earnest. They hardly looked up when Nathan and Elizabeth left for the barn.

Toby just happened to be already saddled, as was Sunset. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and Nathan said, "Well that's a lucky break, all ready to go."

Elizabeth leaned up on her toes and whispered, "I know something is going on, but because I'm a good sport, I won't mention it."

"That's very nice of you," Nathan said, kissing her cheek.

They went straight to the pergola at a run, and after being on the train all day, it was glorious for Elizabeth to feel the wind in her hair.

When they walked into the clearing, Elizabeth was expecting something, although she didn't know exactly what. But all was as it normally was, if you can call exquisitely beautiful _normal._ They walked around, pulling a tiny weed from between the stones here, and tucking in a honeysuckle stem there, while they talked about where they wanted to stand, where the guests would be and where to put the food and drink tables.

Finally, assuming she was wrong about any kind of surprise, Elizabeth suggested they ride back before it got dark.

"Not just yet," Nathan said. "There's one more part of the ranch you haven't seen."

"Okay," Elizabeth said, intrigued. "Show me." She started to walk to the horses, but Nathan took her hand.

Instead of passing through the trees where they usually did, he took her to the opposite side of the clearing. They had to bend down under the blueberry elder trees, full of creamy white flat blossoms that sprinkled over them like rain as they walked through.

Elizabeth laughed as the tiny flowers caught in her hair and eyelashes. "Nathan! Where are you taking me?"

And suddenly, another clearing, but this time instead of a pergola, there was a small structure. The light was beginning to fade in the sky and in among the trees it was almost dark, but Elizabeth could see soft lamp light coming from the windows.

Nathan stood looking at it, holding her hand, and he exhaled. "This is what we've always called the Summer Cabin. It's rarely been used in recent years, but Mom and Charlie have been out here fixing and cleaning."

He turned to Elizabeth and said, "For us."

"Oh, Nathan," Elizabeth said softly on a breath. "It's lovely." The whitewash was fresh and the small paned windows gleamed. The warmth of the lamplight inside was so welcoming that Elizabeth stepped toward it. She kept her hand in Nathan's and led him up to the tiny porch filled with colorful overflowing flowerpots.

From the beam above the porch, there was a willow hoop that was hung with feathers and leather strings in a web above a half-moon of deerskin. Elizabeth touched one perfect feather gently and looked at Nathan with a question in her eyes.

"It's a dreamcatcher. Charlie told me stories when I was young about how the night air is filled with good and bad dreams. His people believe that these protect us from the bad dreams, because they become entangled in the webs and they're held until they're destroyed by the first light of morning."

"Oh," Elizabeth said. She couldn't say more because her heart was somewhere in the vicinity of her throat. She pulled herself closer to Nathan and held him while they both looked at the intricate detail of blue beads in the webs. Elizabeth thought they were exactly the color of Nathan's eyes.

Finally she found her voice. "I can't tell you how this touches me, Nathan."

He smiled at her. "Then Charlie would say that you are _of the people_, Elizabeth." Kissing her gently, he added, "Which doesn't surprise me at all."

Nathan took her hand and opened the front door. Now Elizabeth understood what the silent communication was with Charlie before they left the ranch house. The small wood stove showed embers through its window, and all the lamps were lit. The resulting warmth and soft glow filled the one room with a feeling so hospitable that Elizabeth could imagine immediately curling up in the soft chair in the corner with a good book and a cup of tea.

Elizabeth turned and looked at Nathan. "I'm guessing this was what all the whispering was about," she said, looking at him from under her lashes.

"This is... it's..." Nathan started and then stopped. He plucked a few stray flower petals from her hair and one from her shoulder. Elizabeth looked into his eyes in the golden light. It had been so long since he'd stuttered, she was surprised, and wanted to know why.

"If you'd like," he started again, "We can spend Saturday night here." He took a breath. "Our wedding night."

And now, as she gazed over his shoulder, she could see the four-poster bed that all but dominated the room. It was covered in pillows and a wedding quilt with interlocking rings of colorful fabric and patterns. _Rebecca has outdone herself,_ Elizabeth thought.

She looked again into Nathan's eyes. They were so full of love for her, and though she knew her cheeks were turning crimson, she didn't turn away the way she usually did.

Saturday was three days away, and in all this time, they had never talked about it. Elizabeth reached up and ran her fingers tenderly down his face. He closed his eyes for a moment and just breathed.

Whispering, she said, "I'm glad you're nervous too."

Nathan laughed softly and shook his head. "Oh, I don't think nervous really covers it," he said, suddenly fascinated by the collar on her blouse.

Through the pounding of her heart, Elizabeth said simply, "I love you, Nathan."

He looked up and into her eyes again. "I love you, Elizabeth." He cupped his palm around her face. After a moment he said, "I think I've known from the very beginning that you and I were part of God's plan." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "It helps me to know that this is also part of His plan."

Elizabeth nodded and then kissed him gently. She moved into his arms and they stood, as always, calming their breath and their hearts. Together.

Nathan banked the fire and turned down the wicks in the lamps. Taking the still-lit lantern by the door, he put his arm around Elizabeth's waist and they walked outside into the delicious summer air.

They took one last look at the room, knowing that the next time they walked through this door they would be husband and wife.

Then they let the lantern guide them back through the trees, into the clearing where they would be married, and back through the trees again to Toby and Sunset.


	41. Chapter 41

"Julie!" Elizabeth called out as her sister stepped down from the train. Elizabeth ran to her and hugged her so tightly that she nearly dislodged Julie's hat. Julie was wearing a blouse with more lace than silk, and a bright yellow skirt and jacket. Her hat was the same cheery yellow with flowers abundantly scattered across the brim.

"Oh, Elizabeth," Julie said, putting her sister at arm's length, "You are positively _glowing!"_

Elizabeth laughed. "That's what people tell me," she said. "I'm so happy to see you! You've come such a long way for this, and it means everything to me."

Julie was looking over Elizabeth's shoulder while she spoke. "I wouldn't have missed it. You know me. I'm not one to miss a good party!" Her eyes lit up and she inclined her head toward Nathan, who was standing back on the platform, giving the sisters a chance to reunite. "Is that him? The tall, dark and devastatingly handsome one?"

Laughing, Elizabeth said, "Julie!" Then she turned around and looked proudly at Nathan. "Yes. That's him."

Nathan and Julie had been in the church together at Jack's christening and in the saloon at the reception after. Of course Nathan had seen Julie as she stood up as Jack's godmother, and he recognized her now. Julie had met so many people that day, but not Nathan. At the time, they'd had no idea that they would someday be related through Elizabeth.

"Well," Julie said, straightening her hat, "Introduce me to my new brother-in-law."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, "Brother-in-law_-to-be,"_ she said. "For two days, at least." She took Julie's arm and started to lead her over to Nathan.

"Wait!" Julie said, "My trunk!" She turned and there was a young gentleman in a dark suit and vest still standing on the step of the train holding a very large steamer trunk and smiling at her. Nathan walked forward and took it from him, surprised at the weight of it.

Julie waved playfully. "Thank you ever so much, Dr. Hudson. I do hope you enjoy your stay in Powell River!"

The young doctor tipped his hat to her. "Is this the happy couple?" he asked, looking at Nathan and Elizabeth.

Julie nodded, and Dr. Hudson said, "My congratulations." Then he said to Julie, "Here's hoping that our journeys back east coincide, Miss Thatcher. I've never spent a more enjoyable train trip."

Julie blushed prettily and smiled at him. "Nor I, Dr. Hudson." She waved again and turned. Elizabeth and Nathan were both just staring, slightly open-mouthed.

Julie looked at Elizabeth and said, "What? It was a long trip." She took two strides and put her hand out to Nathan. "Julie Thatcher."

Elizabeth watched Nathan's face as he considered how to greet her. Then he smiled his crooked smile, raised his eyebrows and bent to kiss Julie's hand. "Nathan Grant," he said in his most formal and resonant voice. "I'm very glad to meet you, Julie."

Suddenly, the plaid cotton shirt, the suspenders and work pants, the plain brown jacket and ranch boots transformed, and Julie and Elizabeth could envision the red serge. Both women sighed a little. It wasn't the uniform that made the man. Clearly, it was the man that made the uniform.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Julie said. Then she wrinkled her nose lightheartedly and hugged him. "Oh, we're practically related!" She looked over his shoulder at Elizabeth and said silently, _He's gorgeous!_

Elizabeth shook her head and laughed. Nathan picked up Julie's trunk and put it, with some effort, into the back of the wagon.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at the size and weight of the trunk. "Three days, Julie?" Her sister shrugged and said, "You know me, I like to have choices."

Nathan liked Julie immediately, for the same reasons that Elizabeth loved her so much. Julie was a very specific combination of a wealthy city girl who could fully see the value and charm of a more austere country life, at least temporarily. She could blend into almost any surrounding and with all types of people. She would go back to Hamilton to the parties, the charity balls and the many suitors; but for the next three days, Nathan felt she would fit perfectly into Airdrie's life.

The three of them sat across the front bench with Nathan at the reins, Julie in the middle and Elizabeth on her left. It was a warm midsummer day and Julie soon had removed her hat and her jacket and was already enjoying the freedom of the country.

"And where is my godson?" Julie asked. "I was looking forward to giving that little peanut an enormous auntie hug."

Elizabeth said, "Not so little anymore. He's growing like a weed." She smiled at Julie. "It's not easy to get him out of Rebecca's kitchen, and he's Allie's shadow these days. But he'll be so glad to see you," Elizabeth said, hugging her closer.

Julie turned to Nathan, "So, Rebecca is your mother, and Allie is your... niece?"

Nathan nodded and smiled. "Yes. And the ranch is where I grew up."

Julie closed her eyes and put her face up to the sun. "Well, this looks like a glorious place to grow up, Nathan."

"It was," he said, looking out at the road ahead.

Julie tilted her head at him. "Elizabeth said you were a man of few words." She put her arm through his on the bench. "That's good for me. It leaves me lots of room to talk." She turned to Elizabeth. "I like him already," she said brightly.

The two sisters talked all the way to the ranch while Nathan enjoyed just listening, and occasionally commenting when asked. As always, his head was full of thoughts, and the truth was, he found himself missing Sarah a little. He could see that Julie and Elizabeth, though seemingly so different, had that unbreakable bond of memories - of growing up together, of long talks deep into the night, of sharing hopes and dreams. They had an ease about them that Nathan found very appealing.

Julie said to Elizabeth, loud enough to be sure Nathan could hear, "He's smiling at us. I think he likes me too."

Nathan laughed softly. "I do," he said, still looking at the road.

Julie said, "Oh! Keep saying those two words, Nathan! You're going to need those on Saturday!"

When they heard the wagon, Rebecca, Charlie, Allie and Jack came out to meet them. Julie went right for Jack and dug into her purse for the small wooden horse and rider she had brought him. He sat on her hip looking happily at it while she met Rebecca and Charlie.

"And you must be Allie," Julie said. Jack wanted to get down, so Julie bent down to let him stand on the porch. Jack pulled on Allie's culottes and said his usual, "Lee."

Julie's eyes went wide. "Oh, he's talking!" she said to Elizabeth. She turned to him and said, "Joo-lee," pointing to herself, but he was too engrossed in showing his new toy to Allie.

"I remember you," Allie said to Julie. "From Jack's christening."

"Oh, of course!" Julie said. "There were so many people there, I felt like I met the whole town."

"We didn't meet. I just saw you," Allie said, matter-of-factly.

Julie nodded. "Well, we're meeting now. And I'm going to be your Aunt Julie in just two days, so I'd like to give you a hug if that's okay?"

Allie said, "Yes, that's okay." Julie enveloped her in a frilly, perfume-filled hug and Allie grinned happily.

Julie looked at Allie and said, "You are just _precious_. I hope we'll have time to get to know each other better."

Allie said, "Do you ride horses?"

Julie smiled. "Probably not as well as you do, but I can stay on a horse pretty well. Maybe you can teach me?"

Allie grinned again. "Sure."

Julie finally stood up and she looked over to Nathan and Elizabeth, who had been watching the whole conversation with their arms around each other's waists. Nathan smiled warmly at her. Elizabeth knew he already liked Julie, but she could see that now, with her sweetness to Allie, Julie had won his heart.

Nathan pulled Elizabeth closer and said, very softly, "I guess I'm a brother again. Sort of." She smiled up at him and he said, "It feels good."

It took both Charlie and Nathan to get Julie's trunk up the steps and into her bedroom. She and Elizabeth would share the room where Elizabeth had stayed before, at least for two nights.

Elizabeth had written to Julie about some of Nathan's story, leaving out the very personal and painful parts of it. Again, it wasn't her story to tell. But Julie knew that Nathan had a twin sister who had died in childbirth, and when she saw the photo on the wall of Sarah and Nathan, Julie stood for a long time with Elizabeth's arms around her, looking at it.

"I can't imagine how I would feel if I lost you," Julie said softly, "And we're not even twins."

"It's still hard for him. There's a piece of him that died with her, I think," Elizabeth said. "But he works through it and finds joy everywhere. And when he cares for Allie, he does it for Sarah too, so there's still a bond there."

Julie turned to her. "He's a very good man, Elizabeth." She smiled. "And so different from Jack. And oh, my, does he love you," she said.

Elizabeth laughed softly. "You've known him for, what? About an hour?"

Julie laughed. "I didn't need to know him for a minute to see that," she said, starting to open her trunk. "The sun rises and sets in you, and you're the same with him." Julie sighed. "How on earth have you already found two great loves in your life, and I'm still flirting with doctors on trains?"

Elizabeth smoothed Julie's hair back from her face gently. "You'll find yours. Believe me, it happens when you least expect it."

Julie frowned. "Maybe I need to move to Hope Valley. It seems the men out west are more inclined to commit themselves to a good woman."

Elizabeth's eyes went wide. "Don't tease me. You don't know how much I would love to have you close."

Tilting her head, Julie said, "I might consider it, you know. Hamilton society is starting to wear a little thin, and I'm not getting any younger."

Elizabeth laughed and said, "I have two words for you, Julie. _Indoor plumbing."_

Julie laughed out loud. "Ha, there is that!" She smiled. "In any case, I'm going to visit more often, so you need to get that little house built out back. I'm not waiting this long again to see you. And Jack is enormous! I can't let him grow up without his Auntie Julie."

"No, you can't," Elizabeth said. She looked at Julie's now-open trunk and raised her eyebrows. "Julie. You know this is a country wedding, very informal?" She lifted the skirt of a silk taffeta gown in a lustrous shade of magenta.

Julie smiled sweetly. "You never know what you're going to need. I like to be prepared!"

But when Julie washed for dinner and changed out of her traveling clothes, she chose a simple white cotton blouse and a robin's egg blue skirt with a modest lace trim at the hem. She wore her hair long with a bow in the back, and Elizabeth liked the look of her sister at the ranch. Julie liked it too, and she eased into life there comfortably.

Rebecca had made a huge pot of her beef stew with freshly-baked bread and new butter churned out at the far barn. There was a rhubarb-strawberry pie and the cookies that Rebecca had made with the children the day before. The conversation at the table was lively and full of laughter, with Charlie telling embellished stories of the wild west while Julie listened intently.

After dinner, Rebecca and Charlie sat in front of the fire, while Elizabeth, Nathan, Julie, Allie and Jack all piled into the porch swing. Julie told Allie all about growing up in Hamilton and Jack fell asleep on Nathan's chest.

Elizabeth snuggled under Nathan's arm and gently rubbed Jack's warm back, listening to Julie talk about their childhood. She had come west alone and had been fully prepared to leave her family, but hardest of all was leaving Julie. There was something very right about her being here now.

Finally, the combination of the fresh country air and Nathan's slow rocking of the swing put Allie to sleep, too. Julie was snuggled in the corner of the swing and Allie had her head on her shoulder.

"This is kind of a magical place," Julie said softly. The moon was not quite full but it still sharpened the edges of the trees, the barn, and the paddock in the distance. Every now and then one of the goats would bleat, or a horse would whinny. One of the barn owls was keeping up a steady _hoo-oo_ up in the rafters far away.

Elizabeth smiled. "Wait till you see where we're getting married. In fact, people aren't arriving until late afternoon, so we'll have time to take a ride out there tomorrow morning. Rebecca has banned me from the kitchen. She keeps telling me I need to rest up for my big day. She calls me _The Bride."_

Nathan laughed softly. "Don't even try to argue with her. You'll lose."

"I know," Elizabeth said. "I started to dish up dinner for the kids and she nearly smacked me with a wooden spoon!"

Nathan nodded, remembering. "That's her weapon of choice. She used to do that with me. At sixteen I'm nearly four inches taller than she is, and when I wouldn't mind her, she would hold up that wooden spoon and wave it in my face like she meant to take my nose off."

Elizabeth and Julie laughed softly.

"One time," Nathan continued, "I sort of saw the humor in it and laughed, which did not sit well with her. I found out that spoon could _hurt_ when it hit my rear."

Giggling, Elizabeth reached up and ran her fingers lightly through his hair. "Well, I'm glad she didn't take your nose off. It's a good nose." They looked at each other for a long moment while Julie gazed at them.

"You two," Julie said quietly, "Are absolutely adorable."

Then she said to Elizabeth, smiling, "And he _does_ talk, doesn't he?"

Elizabeth looked up at Nathan with pure love in her eyes. "Yes. But only when there's something to be said."


	42. Chapter 42

"What is that?" Julie whispered.

Elizabeth opened one eye, which was no help at all, because it was just as dark with it open as it had been with it closed.

"It's a rooster, Julie," Elizabeth whispered back. "I'm hoping it doesn't wake Jack." She closed her eye and pulled her pillow over her head to block out the noise.

Julie sighed. "I know it's a rooster, Elizabeth. I'm talking about the smell. That amazing, delicious, tantalizing smell."

Muffled by the pillow, Julie could just barely make out her sister saying the words _pancakes, maple syrup, bacon_ and _biscuits._

"Ohhhh," Julie said. "That's what I thought it was." She sat up and said, "It's dark. Why is it still dark?"

"Because the sun isn't up yet," Elizabeth said, lifting a corner of the pillow. "And we shouldn't be either. Shhh. Go back to sleep."

Exhaling, Julie said, "I don't think I can. Do you remember Jane, our cook? She would do that. I think she was in cahoots with the nanny. Jane would make a breakfast that was impossible to sleep through, and then... _Freida!_ That was her name, our nanny, she would put the plate right by the bed and I could _never_ go back to sleep once I smelled it. It was the only way she could get me up for school."

"Our nanny's name wasn't Freida, Julie." Elizabeth rolled over and rubbed her eyes. "Our nanny's name was Freja. She was Danish."

"Yes!" Julie said. "Freja. She was the one who used to make those little round pancakes with the lingonberry jam filling. Ambelskeevers... ?"

"Ebelskivers." Elizabeth yawned hugely. "You're obsessed with food this morning."

"It's this fresh air! It energizes me. It's like coffee!"

"Shhhhh, You'll wake Jack!" Elizabeth whispered.

Julie sighed. "Sorry. But, oooh, coffee. Do you think there's coffee?"

"What a good idea," Elizabeth said, "Why don't you go and find out?" She rolled over, hoping that there was still the possibility of a few minutes of sleep.

Julie slid back down under the covers. "I'm not sure I can get out of this bed. It's the softest, warmest bed I've ever slept in."

"You're not sleeping, Julie. I'm not sleeping either," Elizabeth said, finally opening her eyes. She sighed deeply. "What time is it?"

Julie picked up her watch from the bedside table and held it in the very first slivers of light coming through the window. "5:26. I don't think I've ever been up this early before. But I've _stayed _up this _late_. Does that count?"

Elizabeth laughed softly, slowly waking up. She turned on her side and said, sleepily, "I'm glad you're here, Julie. It's been a long time since we've woken up together in the same bed."

"You remember how you used to say that you would stay awake and watch for monsters? And I used to come and climb in with you when I was scared?" Julie said softly. "You've always been my big sister, Elizabeth. You've always taken care of me."

"I always will," Elizabeth said, taking her hand.

The growing light was making their faces more clear to each other. Julie was quiet for a moment and then said, "Does Rebecca make you think about how our Mother was with us? The cooking, how sweet and warm Rebecca is?" Julie asked.

Elizabeth nodded, "It was one of the first things I thought of when I was sitting in her kitchen here. I realized that the only way Mother was ever in the kitchen was if she was directing the staff."

"It's still that way. I wonder sometimes if Mother's life turned out the way she thought it would," Julie said wistfully. "I don't think she's happy. It's like she keeps herself busy with charity functions and lunches so she won't have to think about anything else too much."

Elizabeth nodded. "I think you're right." She sighed, "I don't think any of our lives turn out the way we think they will, though. Sometimes they turn out better," she said, smiling. "Growing up in Hamilton, going to cotillion dances, dreaming of debutante balls... If you had told me that I would end up in a town like Hope Valley, I wouldn't have believed it. And now I'm happier than I ever could have dreamed back then."

Julie sniffled and sat up. "I don't want to end up like Mother, Elizabeth."

Sitting up too, Elizabeth said, "Julie, are you crying? Oh, sweetheart," she said, hugging her tightly.

Julie turned so that she and Elizabeth were facing each other, cross-legged on the bed. "I'm not silly, you know, even if most of my friends are. I want to do something that matters, something that makes a difference in the world. I know I wasn't a very good teacher when I came to help you, but it felt so good to do _something."_ She wiped her eyes with the collar of her nightdress. "I don't know exactly _what_ I want to do, but how do I find out, with Mother and Viola constantly telling me I can't do anything else but be a Thatcher?"

"Julie, if there's one thing I've learned it's that you can be whatever you _believe_ you can be." Elizabeth paused. "I've been thinking about this for a while. When I read your letters, I wonder..."

"What?" Julie said.

Elizabeth stopped and then started again. "You know why I came to Coal Valley in the first place - to teach children. But there are children in need everywhere, Julie. Why do you think I came so far?"

"At the time, I had no idea why you had to go almost all the way across the country," Julie said.

"It's very hard to make big changes and have a new life if you're completely surrounded by the old one. I was afraid if I stayed in Hamilton, that I would fall back into old habits and lose sight of my dream," Elizabeth said. "Mother, Father and Viola were not going to be supportive of the changes I wanted to make in my life." Elizabeth took Julie's hands in hers. "And they probably won't be for you either."

Julie said, "What are you suggesting, Elizabeth?"

"Come stay with us for a while. You know so many people already in Hope Valley, and now you know Nathan's family. We all love you and want you to find out what it is that makes you happy."

Julie frowned. "Live in Hope Valley?"

"You can call it a visit... with a _possibility_ of living there. Our town is growing so fast. Abigail started her café. Dottie Ramsay started a dress shop. Lucas has changed the saloon completely. Rosemary still wants to build a theatre. There are opportunities there. We don't even know what we need right now, but maybe there's something that would fulfill your dream _and_ fill a need for the town."

Julie thought for a few moments. "So, on this _visit,_ I would live with you?"

Elizabeth smiled. "You could, but it's going to be rough for a while because the house isn't finished yet. But I have another possibility." She moved closer to make sure she wasn't whispering too loudly. "Nathan and I have two houses. He could let go of his, but I could keep mine. I'm still in that little row house. It was perfect for me alone, and it would be for you, too."

There was full light in the room now, and Jack was stirring. Elizabeth stood and went to the crib. "Hi, my sweet boy," she said, lifting him up and bringing him over to the bed.

Julie had spent the whole afternoon and evening saying her name to Jack, and she did it again. Pointing to herself, she said, "Joo-lee."

Jack looked at her and smiled. She kissed him and said, "Oh, it's okay, Jack. You'll get it when you're ready." She turned to get her watch from the table and Jack said, _"Doo-ee."_ Julie's eyes widened and she gasped.

Elizabeth said excitedly, "Did you hear that? He said your name!"

"It's a _sign,"_ Julie said solemnly. "You know what else is a sign? The smell of those pancakes!" She smiled at Elizabeth. "Can we get up now?"

"Yes. And Julie?"

"What?" Julie said.

"Please think about it. I would love to have you close. I miss you," Elizabeth said softly.

"Oooh, I miss you too." She hugged Elizabeth, with Jack in between. Getting up, Julie looked out the window. Then she looked back at Elizabeth. "I'm closer to Hope Valley right now than Hamilton, you know. It certainly wouldn't make sense to go all the way to Hamilton and then come back. So," she said firmly, "I'll decide before the train leaves on Sunday."

Now Jack wouldn't stop saying her name, _"Doo-ee, Doo-ee!"_

Julie laughed. "Okay, Jack, your vote has been counted!" She hugged him tightly and said, "Do you want pancakes? I want pancakes!"

They washed and got dressed quickly and made their way out to the kitchen. Allie was sleeping still, but Rebecca was at the table making lists while Nathan dictated.

"Kevin, Hickam and Jesse can stay in the caretaker's room above the barn. They'll be sleeping rough, but they say they'll be just fine there," Nathan said, checking his notes.

"Good morning," Elizabeth said. Rebecca immediately stood and put her arms out for Jack, who went happily to her. She got him a plate of pancakes and syrup and he seemed as hungry as Julie.

"Good morning," Nathan said, grinning. He came up behind Elizabeth, wrapped her in his arms and whispered, "One more day..." She laughed softly and put her arms around his, smiling contentedly at Julie and Rebecca.

With his chin resting on Elizabeth's shoulder, Nathan said, "How did you sleep, Julie? Did you two talk all night?"

Elizabeth said softly to him, "No, but she got me up with the rooster this morning."

Julie sighed. "I slept _so_ well, and then I smelled those pancakes, and bacon, and... biscuits."

Nathan smiled. "Well, we'd better get you some, then. There's plenty." He released Elizabeth and started to fill a plate for Julie. Elizabeth stood next to him and started to fill her own. They made the mistake of looking at each other, however, and their progress on the plates slowed dramatically. Elizabeth was contemplating whether Nathan's eyes were always this blue first thing in the morning, and Nathan was wondering how she could look so perfectly beautiful after just waking up.

Julie and Rebecca watched this happen, and then looked at each other and smiled.

Gently, Julie took the plate out of Nathan's hand. "Don't trouble yourself. I can get my own breakfast. You just keep doing... what you're doing."

He hadn't really heard her. He was focused on the curl that had escaped Elizabeth's comb...

Nathan took a deep breath and came back into the present. He smiled at Elizabeth, took her hand, and said, "Excuse us. We need to check on... something. Be right back."

With that insufficient and totally transparent explanation, Nathan led Elizabeth out to the porch and into the early sunshine. When the door closed behind them, he said, "I couldn't wait another second to do this." He bent to kiss her, and she happily met him halfway.

Inside, Julie looked at Rebecca with wide eyes. "What just happened?" she said.

Rebecca was smiling broadly. "Oh my goodness, those two are crazier in love than any two people I've ever seen." To share her joy, Rebecca reached out and squeezed Julie's hand affectionately. "I'm so happy for them."

Julie nodded and squeezed back, a little overcome herself. "I am, too!"

When Nathan and Elizabeth returned five minutes later, Nathan had forgotten all about Julie's breakfast, Elizabeth's cheeks were pink, and that curl still hadn't found its way back to the comb.

By the time Julie and Elizabeth finished their breakfast, Allie was up and had eaten. Rebecca still wouldn't let Elizabeth do any work, so she just sat while Julie and Allie did the dishes and Nathan and Rebecca finalized their lists.

Nathan was checking off names. "Lee and Rosemary can have the smaller room over the cellar stairs, because there are only two of them. Carson can take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch out here. Elizabeth, Julie and Jack are in the front bedroom. And Fiona, Clara, and Faith can have the big back bedroom with Allie on the floor."

Rebecca said, "And in the boarding house in town?"

Nathan said, "Bill, Ned and Henry have rooms reserved. They'll have breakfast there in the morning, and they'll have our third wagon so they can come and go. They'll also bring Pastor Grady in tomorrow for the ceremony." Nathan looked over at Elizabeth, and they were in danger of falling off the same cliff, so Rebecca called him back quickly.

"What about horses?" Rebecca asked.

Nathan pulled himself reluctantly from Elizabeth's eyes and looked back at his mother. "Bill said he'd like to ride back and forth from Airdrie if we can spare a horse. I thought I'd give him Nugget if that's okay?"

"No problem," Rebecca said. "Just be sure to tell Charlie."

Nathan continued, "And lastly, the Montgomerys, the Hayfords and the Tuckers are going to camp out in the long pasture so they'll be close by, but they're handling their own meals. I've had the hands stack three good piles of firewood and kindling out there for them."

When Nathan finally took a breath, Julie looked at Elizabeth and said, "I'm exhausted just listening!" Elizabeth couldn't answer because she was absolutely astonished that so many of her dear friends would be here from Hope Valley.

Nathan pushed back from the table. "We'd better get going. This morning we're going out to the pergola for one last look before tomorrow. We'll be back at lunchtime."

Rebecca snuggled into Jack's neck and kissed him before giving him back to Elizabeth. "Have fun out there. Charlie and I pulled all the weeds we could see, and the hands are putting up tables and chairs for us today," Rebecca said.

Nathan looked at the clock. "The train comes in at 3:30. We'll have room in the three wagons for us to go greet them, but Mom, do you need any of us to stay behind and help with dinner for... he counted on his fingers... um..." He looked at her a little sheepishly, "...nineteen?"

Rebecca grinned. "Seems to me once you all get back I'll have more help than I need."

Nathan laughed and gave her a warm hug. "You love this, don't you, Mom? A house full of people to cook for?"

Rebecca reached up and kissed his cheek. "I'm in heaven, Nathan."

"Oh, Mom. I want to make sure we don't forget your birthday tomorrow. Is there anything you want while we're in town?"

Rebecca smiled up at her son. "I tell you what, Nathan. For my birthday, you marry this beautiful girl who is perfect for you in every way, and have all your friends here to celebrate with us, and let me cook the way I love to cook, and then you can all clean up."

Nathan laughed. "It's a deal, Mom."

Twenty minutes later, they rode out. Nathan and Elizabeth were in the lead, but this time Jack wouldn't rest until Nathan put him in the saddle with him. Julie and Allie rode a little behind. They all rode slowly for Jack, but it was a beautiful day and no one minded the pace.

Nathan looked over at Elizabeth. "You're quiet. Everything okay?"

She looked back at him and smiled. "I am overwhelmed with how blessed we are. I don't think I can fit any more happiness in," she said, laughing.

Nathan said softly, "I know exactly how you feel."

They rode on for a moment and Nathan said, "My mother is right, you know."

Elizabeth said, "Your mother is almost always right. You'll have to be more specific."

"You _are_ beautiful, and you're perfect for me in every way," Nathan said.

Elizabeth smiled tenderly at him. "And Julie thinks you're devastatingly handsome and that we're adorable together, and I happen to agree with her."

Nathan took a deep breath. "When we ride like this, I always remember when we went to pick up Allie's horse. I wanted so much to tell you I loved you then. But right now, I want to say something that I could only dream of on that day."

"And that is?" she asked.

He said softly, "Elizabeth. We're getting married tomorrow."


	43. Chapter 43

Allie called out, "It's coming! The train is coming!"

Elizabeth looked at Nathan, her eyes wide. "Are you ready for this? We're about to be joined by practically everyone we know and love." She hugged him tightly.

Nathan turned to her. "I'm ready for anything. But once the crowd gathers I may have to steal you away to the barn once in a while to do this." He put his finger under her chin and kissed her.

"It's not stealing if I'm willing, you know," Elizabeth said softly.

Julie came up behind them. "If you two can take your eyes off each other for a second, you might want to move back a little. There's a _very_ big train coming!" The noise was almost deafening now, and Elizabeth and Nathan smiled and stepped back with Julie.

Not surprisingly, Rosemary was leaning out of a window calling to them. "Elizabeth! Nathan!" She spread her arms theatrically. "We are _here!"_

Elizabeth leaned up and said in Nathan's ear, "And so it begins... "

The next hour was filled with so much commotion that Elizabeth could hardly keep it all straight. In all, twenty-four people with all their excitement, baggage, stories, camping gear, gifts and good wishes came off the train in the space of about ten minutes. Nathan and Elizabeth were hugged, kissed, congratulated, and jostled so many times that Elizabeth was very grateful she had left Jack with Rebecca. They were surrounded by noise and joy and love, and Elizabeth doubted the Airdrie Train Station had seen anything like it in all its days.

Not one person from their list had bowed out, and in fact, there was an extra they hadn't expected.

"Lucas!" Elizabeth said happily. "I thought you weren't coming!"

Nathan shook his hand and said, "Welcome, Lucas!" Then he remembered what Lucas was supposed to be doing and looked a little concerned. "Wait. Who's watching Hope Valley?"

Bill stepped down off the train right after Lucas. "I called Patrick O'Reilly in Elwood Ridge and asked him to do me a favor." He slapped Lucas on the back. "This one was looking a little forlorn over our card game the other night and it just didn't seem right to keep him from coming."

"Relieved of duty before I got to serve one day," Lucas said. "I hope I'm not throwing off the guest list, but Bill thought there would be room for me at the boarding house."

Nathan smiled and said, "Absolutely! It's a very fluid guest list. We're glad you're here."

Nodding, Lucas said, "Once Bill told me about the replacement, I found I did want very much to come. Of course, the combination of Florence, Molly and Gustav pushing me out the door to the saloon was very compelling."

Elizabeth was about to step forward and welcome Lucas when Julie moved smoothly in front of her.

Lucas looked at Julie and smiled. "Miss Thatcher, it's good to see you again. Lucas Bouchard, at your service," he said, making the slightest of bows.

Julie had to get used to the fact that Jack's Christening had made her a bit of a celebrity in town. Everyone knew her, but she had only been able to speak to some of them. She certainly knew who Lucas was, but didn't recall ever hearing his voice. _And it is a very nice voice,_ she thought. But she had moved in front of Elizabeth because of those brown eyes and his sophisticated air.

Putting out her hand, Julie said, "Mr. Bouchard, so glad you could come. And please," she said, "You must call me Julie."

As Nathan and Bill got the bags down, Elizabeth was watching this exchange with some amusement. She was thinking it might not be so difficult to get Julie to consider Hope Valley after all.

"Then you must call me Lucas," he said, taking Julie's arm. "And how was your train trip from Hamilton? Did you arrive yesterday?"

Elizabeth laughed softly to herself. _Nice to see you too, Lucas. Don't mind me, I'm just the bride..._

"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" Nathan asked, coming up behind her and speaking softly in her ear.

Elizabeth turned and smiled at him. "Yep. That's going to be a battle of who's more charming, I imagine. And to think that I was wondering if Julie would take a shine to either Hickam or Kevin." She shook her head. "Never employ me as a matchmaker. I don't think I'd be very good at it. So, what's next?"

"Well, right now, we have some wagons to fill." He put his arm around her waist as they walked. "What's protocol here? Do you and I ride together, or do we split up to spread ourselves around?"

And in that moment, the decision was made for them.

"Just _wait_ until you see your dress, Elizabeth. We added some extra pearls to the skirt, and you're just going to _love_ how it looks!" Rosemary took Elizabeth's hand and led her over to the large dress boxes being loaded into Charlie's wagon.

Bill came up to Nathan and said, "I hope you're okay with me calling Patrick and freeing Lucas up. I started thinking it really wasn't a great idea to put a civilian in charge, especially with that bank robbery in Aldergrove last week..." And off they went to Nathan's wagon.

The third wagon was being driven by Seth, one of the ranch hands, and he was taking the families out to their campsites.

Allie ran up to Elizabeth and said excitedly, "Emily and Opal want me to come with them to watch them set up their tents. Is that okay? Hi, Mrs. Coulter!"

"Thanks for telling me, Allie, and yes, of course you can," Elizabeth said.

"Can I bring Emily and Opal to dinner at the ranch?" Allie said.

"Only if their parents agree. Just let Seth know when he should bring the wagon back. Dinner is at 6:30."

Allie hugged her tightly. "Thanks!" And she was gone to find her friends.

Elizabeth looked at Rosemary, and she was frowning and pouting at the same time. "What?" Elizabeth said. "What's wrong?"

"Elizabeth," Rosemary said sternly. "You're getting married tomorrow. You should be having milk baths and sipping tea and having your hair done. Not organizing campsites and fetching and carrying people in wagons!"

Elizabeth laughed. "Rosemary, I've never been happier. All our friends have come to our special day, Julie is here, you've made these beautiful dresses for Allie and me... " She frowned suddenly. "What _is_ a milk bath anyway? Is it actually milk? That seems like a _terrible_ waste!"

Rosemary shook her head. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"Uh-huh," Elizabeth said, laughing. She climbed up into the wagon and sat next to Faith and Carson. Rosemary joined her on the other side. Fiona and Kevin were across from her, and she was thinking she hadn't been paying much attention because those two seemed to be pretty chummy too.

_Obviously, love is in the air,_ Elizabeth thought.

"We're so happy for you!" Faith said next to her, putting her arm around Elizabeth. Carson reached across Faith and took Elizabeth's hand. "We really are," he said, smiling. "And it was amazing to all be traveling together today. I had a great conversation with Lee, and one with Henry. We don't often sit down for that amount of time together. We're all so busy."

Elizabeth nodded. "We feel the same way. Of course Nathan and I just sit and watch Allie and Jack play together on the train, which is such a treat." She suddenly broke into a huge smile. "We're so happy you're all here!"

As they waited for all the bags to get on board, Elizabeth noticed that Nathan was driving the wagon that had Lucas, Bill, Ned, and Henry in it, and he was waiting for them to drop their bags off at the boarding house. He waved to her, and then stepped aside to show Julie sitting patiently in the wagon talking to Clara and Jesse.

_Lucas won't know what hit him,_ Elizabeth thought. _Or maybe Julie won't. _She laughed to herself. _Maybe it will be a tie._

Smiling as if he was reading her mind, Nathan nodded. Then he put his fingers to his lips and blew her a tiny kiss.

"Everybody settled?" Charlie asked. A chorus erupted from the wagon, and they were off. Elizabeth looked back at Nathan and put her fingers to her lips too.

Next to her, Rosemary sighed and hugged Elizabeth. "You are luminescent, my sweet Elizabeth. Lit from within."

"Oh, Rosemary. I can't wait for you to see the ranch and where we're going to be married, and oh, the Summer Cabin. And to meet Rebecca. She's so wonderful, and _such_ a good cook!"

Rosemary laughed. "And we have two whole days to see it all. Don't we, Lee? Oh!" Rosemary looked to her right and suddenly realized her husband was missing.

Not missing, actually, just on the other side of the wagon, talking to Kevin, but when he saw Rosemary's look, he clapped him on the back and made his way over to sit next to her.

"This is a place of honor, Rosie. You got the spot next to the bride. Can I join you, or is this girl talk?"

Rosemary frowned and shook her head. "You can't do girl talk in a dusty old wagon, Lee. We'll do that later, sitting on that porch swing we've heard so much about." She took Elizabeth's hand. "And we hope you don't mind, but we spent some time last night sitting on your porch in Hope Valley. It was so beautiful and quiet out there, and we were imagining how it will be when both of our houses are side by side..."

Elizabeth was deliriously happy. Listening to Rosemary and Lee talk about the future on one side, and Carson and Faith talk about their future on the other.

_And my future starts tomorrow,_ she thought. She had no bride jitters, not an ounce of doubt.

There was one part of the day that only three people knew about. Bill, Nathan and Elizabeth knew that Bill had brought an approved Petition for Adoption. It would become effective the moment Nathan and Elizabeth were pronounced husband and wife. So it would be a surprise not only to Allie, but to everyone else present.

"Elizabeth? What do you think about that idea?" Rosemary waved her fingers in front of Elizabeth's face. "Are you feeling faint? Brides do that sometimes..."

Laughing, Elizabeth said, "No, not faint, Rosemary. But I do seem to have a case of bride brain. Can't keep a thought in it for very long."

"Completely normal. I'd be worried if you didn't," Rosemary said.

"So what were you saying?"

"Well. I have Allie's little pillow, for the rings. It's covered in the same fabric from her dress, but I'm wondering if the ribbon holding the rings should be the same color or contrasting, and then _which_ contrasting color... So I brought them all!"

Elizabeth hugged Rosemary. "At this point, I would say that whatever you choose will be perfect." She smiled at her. "You're such a good friend. Have I thanked you for everything you're doing?"

Rosemary laughed. "Not today, but that's because we just got here. Overall, I'd say you're up to about a hundred times!"

"And you know we decided on a shorter, less formal ceremony? And that we're not having any groomsmen, or a Best Man, or bridesmaids, or a..."

"Matron of Honor?" Rosemary said, raising her eyebrows.

Elizabeth smiled and put her arm around Rosemary. "No one. Just the four of us. Nathan, me, Allie and Jack. It just feels right."

"Oh, Elizabeth, it _is _right. I, for one, adore that you're including the children. Don't you agree, Lee? Oh, dear," Rosemary said. Because Lee may have moved next to her, but Kevin just moved right next to Lee and they were back to their conversation about logging equipment or some such.

"I know that Lee does agree, because we've talked about it," Rosemary said.

Elizabeth tried not to laugh, but then Rosemary saw the humor, and they laughed together. "Welcome to marriage, Elizabeth! Enjoy these early days when Nathan hangs on your every word!"

They were getting close to the corridor of trees that led into the ranch. Everyone in the wagon looked up as the afternoon sun sparkled through the leaves and made patterns on their clothes and faces.

Elizabeth took the opportunity to look back, and Nathan's wagon had caught up and was right behind them. She could see him on the front bench talking easily with Bill.

Nathan held the reins in his hands so naturally it was like they were created there, and every so often he would make a small sound to one of the horses. _Hup, Sugar._ He was more comfortable there than perhaps anywhere else in the world, even Elizabeth's arms.

If Archie Grant hadn't broken the law, Nathan might not have become a Mountie, and if not a Mountie, he might have become a rancher. It was probably safer, but Elizabeth probably wouldn't have met him.

One step and then another, and all of them had led to this moment. If Elizabeth tried to count her blessings right now, she would run out of numbers.

Nathan must have felt her eyes on him, because he looked up, directly at her. They were in the trees now too, and Bill was mesmerized just like everyone else.

Moving the reins into one hand, Nathan moved two fingers up to his lips and blew her another kiss. When she touched her own mouth, she could almost feel his lips on hers.


	44. Chapter 44

"And, _voila!"_ Lucas said, holding up the Queen of Diamonds.

"Oh!" Julie beamed at him and clapped her hands in wonder.

"I can tell you how he does that trick," Allie whispered to Julie as she walked by with Emily and Opal in tow.

Lucas raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Allie. You mustn't forget the Magician's Code of Honor. Never divulge a fellow illusionist's secrets."

Allie shrugged at Julie, smiling, and continued past, leading her friends out the side door to the part of the porch that overlooked the paddocks. All three had plates overflowing with Charlie and Rebecca's incredible grilled steak, fresh corn on the cob, baked beans and sweet cabbage salad.

Lucas and Julie were sitting at a small table in the main room. They had scarcely been apart since they'd left the wagon hours ago.

Nathan and Elizabeth sat together a short distance away, tucked into an S-shaped loveseat made of soft leather. It had been one of Nathan and Sarah's favorite places to play when they were children.

"Is it slightly scary that I can tell you exactly how that conversation just went?" Nathan said to Elizabeth.

She smiled and put her head closer to his. "And..."

"Allie told Julie she knows how he does that trick, and Lucas told Allie not to blow his cover," Nathan said, taking a sip of fresh apple cider.

Elizabeth laughed. "I'd forgotten about that. Allie the card shark, taking money and sandwiches from all the other children on her very first day of school." She turned to Nathan. "I truly love that girl. She's smart and feisty and funny. It's no wonder she's so popular."

"I could say I wish I'd settled somewhere for her sooner – but if I had, I wouldn't have met you," Nathan said, coiling one of her curls lazily around his finger.

"I was just thinking about that today in the wagon. All those little moments that lead up to this one. All the times we could have gone a different direction. And then another part of me feels like we would have found each other no matter what," Elizabeth said softly.

Nathan was so close to her, their heads were almost touching. "Now I know why they call this a loveseat," he said, kissing her cheek. "The advantage of this particular piece of furniture was lost on me growing up."

They heard a soft click and looked up to see Carson with his camera. He and Fiona had each brought their latest hobbies with them, and were documenting their memories of the ranch and the people gathered here.

"Hope you don't mind," Carson said, a little sheepishly, "But you're going to love that photo later."

Not at all," Elizabeth said. "In fact, I was hoping to ask you to take some tomorrow as well."

"I'd be happy to," Carson said, heading toward the door to find Faith out by the animal pens. They were going to take a walk to see the sunset.

"That reminds me," Nathan said. "I want to give Mom her birthday present tonight before all the chaos sets in tomorrow."

Laughing, Elizabeth looked around the living room and out of the windows. "What do you call this?" There were people in twos and threes in conversation, some loud, some soft. Everyone eating, mostly drinking cider, although Bill had managed to convince Charlie to break out the fine whiskey. Along with Lee and Hickam, the four of them were sampling it at the sideboard, and they were having a lively discussion about the difference between whiskies made in Canada and Tennessee.

Henry, Kevin and Fiona were looking out at the lowering sun through the big picture windows, and though Elizabeth couldn't see who was in the porch swing, she strongly suspected it was Clara and Jesse. Ned Yost was sitting in a camp chair next to the swing, talking to them.

"This is a wonderful house, Nathan. Very warm and welcoming," Elizabeth said.

Nathan nodded and looked at his mother, in the kitchen as always, and she seemed to be sharing a recipe with Rosemary. The two of them had hit it off right away, and they'd been taking turns holding and playing with Jack.

Nathan said, "Do you have any idea how happy she is right now? She's in her element with lots of people in this house. It doesn't happen very often anymore."

"Maybe we can change that," Elizabeth said. "Everyone I've talked to absolutely loves it here. It's a bit of a train ride, but Carson was telling me that they all used the time to connect with each other. And I can't believe how many overnight guests this house can absorb."

Nathan laughed softly, "You're talking to someone who is sleeping on that sofa, over there, tonight. I have a feeling those two will still be talking," he said, dipping his head toward Lucas and Julie.

Elizabeth sighed. "Julie does find the bad boys wherever she goes. But I've discovered something about Lucas. A part of him seems to like that reputation, but he also wants to fit in, wants people to care about him. I wonder if the rascal side of him is just a cover for that soft side." She looked at Nathan. "Julie might be good for him."

Laughing, Nathan said, "I thought your matchmaking days were over."

She laughed too. "Point taken. I hereby resolve to let things happen as they will. But," She raised an eyebrow. "If Julie does come to Hope Valley, she can't be running through the men in town the way she does her many suitors in Hamilton. She needs to understand that she'll be bumping into them in the Mercantile and Abigail's for years afterwards."

"You're a good big sister, Elizabeth," Nathan said, softly.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said.

Nathan's eyes widened, and he smiled at her. "Nicely done! Compliment received and appreciated. You're progressing well, angel."

"I have a good teacher," Elizabeth said, finally blushing a bit.

Taking a deep breath, Nathan stood and offered his hand to help her up. "Let's give Mom her present."

Fiona had given Elizabeth the second photo of the four of them and she'd mailed it to Nathan here at the ranch. He'd shown it to Rebecca and she'd loved it so much that he decided to get it framed and give it to her. After all, he and Elizabeth would be living in the same house after tomorrow, so they didn't need two copies.

"Sorry to interrupt," Nathan said to Rosemary, "But we have a present to give to Mom. It's her birthday tomorrow."

"Oh!" Rosemary said, bouncing Jack on her knee. "How wonderful that they're getting married on your birthday, Rebecca!"

Beaming, Rebecca said, "I think so." She frowned up at Nathan. "But I thought I told you that the only present I wanted was a houseful of people?"

Nathan smiled and put his arm around her shoulders affectionately. "Just a little something, Mom." He handed her the framed photo, wrapped in brown paper.

"Oh, Nathan," she said softly, pulling away the paper. "I love this more than I can say. I can look at it whenever I want now."

Rosemary looked at the photo and she remembered that she had seen it at Elizabeth's house on the small table. Nathan on the Infirmary bed with his poor broken leg, Elizabeth and Allie on either side and little Jack on his lap holding up his Mountie. So happy, all of them.

Rebecca turned and hugged her son tightly. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered. "What a good life you've made for yourself, my Nathan."

Over her shoulder, Nathan gazed at Elizabeth, who was watching them with soft eyes and a tender smile.

_Yes, I've made a good life. And tomorrow that good life starts with an extraordinary woman, two adored children, a new house and a town full of beloved people._

"I never imagined I could be so blessed, Mom. I'm grateful for it every day."

The sun was setting and Elizabeth and Nathan walked out to join Jesse and Clara in the swing to watch it. Many in Hope Valley had heard the story about Nathan's grandparents and how they'd built the porch first, but Ned hadn't, so they told it again.

They all watched in silence as the sun dipped below the trees and the sky changed into a watercolor painting of pink, gold, orange and magenta.

Then the moon appeared, full in the deep blue of the sky.

Jesse said, "You want any guidance about weddings from the old married couple? Us?" He looked at Clara and kissed her cheek. Newlyweds forever, those two.

Nathan laughed. "Give us your best piece of advice. We're listening."

Clara said, "Weddings are very complicated, and something always goes wrong. But my piece of advice is to look for the gift it brings, because there's always a gift. We wanted to stand in a certain place, but it was too hot that day and we had to make a last-minute change. Our new spot was right under a tree and while we said our vows, we could hear birdsong all around us. If we'd been where we first planned, we wouldn't have had that."

Elizabeth smiled and took Clara's hand. "That's lovely advice. Thank you."

Jesse turned to Nathan. "My advice is not nearly as poetic, but it's pretty essential. Do _not_ double-tie the rings to that little pillow thing because you're afraid of losing them. You don't think about the fact that your hands will be shaking up there, and trying to untie a knot in front of all those people is not a good idea."

Nathan laughed. "Very practical. Thank you."

Elizabeth snuggled closer to Nathan. "Our ceremony will be pretty short and sweet, and we think you'll all love where we're having it."

Clara said, "You've been very mysterious about that. Not in the church in town and not here at the house. All I've heard is that it's somewhere," she waved her hand toward the trees, "Out there!"

Nathan pulled Elizabeth closer to him. "It's also where I proposed. Although it's hard to call that romantic, considering I had a cast on my leg and couldn't get on bended knee very gracefully."

Elizabeth laughed. "You did remarkably well." She held her hand out to look at her ring again, and said softly, "And it was _very_ romantic."

Grimacing, Nathan said, "I seem to recall telling you I loved you more than my horse."

Clara laughed. "That _is_ romantic. We all know how much you love your horse, Nathan!"

Allie came around the side of the swing. "Uncle Nathan, can I sleep in the tent with Emily and her family? Please?"

Nathan looked at Elizabeth, "What time do you need Allie tomorrow?"

"The ceremony is at 1:00, so I'll be going to the Summer Cabin with Rosemary and Clara at about 11:00 to get dressed. Allie, can you meet us at the road next to the campsites and we'll pick you up in the wagon then?"

"Yes," she said quickly. So I can?"

"Yes," Nathan and Elizabeth said together.

"Love you both!" Allie said, hugging them.

Opal looked at Elizabeth and said, "See you tomorrow, Mrs. Thornton." She frowned a little. "Oh, after that, will we call you Mrs. Grant?"

Elizabeth beamed at her. "Yes, Opal. You will."

"I might not always remember at first," Opal said, looking slightly troubled.

"That's okay. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it quickly," Elizabeth said. "Don't keep Allie up too late tonight. We have a big day tomorrow."

Emily said, "I think you're going to be a beautiful bride."

"Thank you, Emily. That's very sweet." As they ran off, Elizabeth said, "Sleep well, girls."

Little by little, people made their way to their bedrooms. With so many in the house and the barn, there was whispering far into the night. Rosemary and Lee, Faith and Clara, Kevin and Jesse, and of course, Julie and Elizabeth.

But before that, Nathan and Elizabeth said goodnight to Rebecca and Charlie and turned down all the lights. They sat on the sofa that was to be Nathan's bed for the night and talked again about the ceremony in hushed tones.

Julie had read Jack's bedtime story to him and had put him gently in his crib when he'd fallen asleep.

Finally, Nathan walked Elizabeth to her bedroom door.

Nathan sighed, holding her close. "This is the last time I have to let go of you when I say goodnight."

"I know," Elizabeth said. "Can you believe tomorrow is finally here?"

"No, and yes," he said. "It seemed to take forever, but lately it's been speeding up." He kissed her and whispered, "So, I'll see you for breakfast?"

"Yes, and then you'll see me at the pergola," she said.

Nathan gazed at her, his fingers idly touching the curls at her forehead. "I love you, Elizabeth," he said softly. "So much."

Elizabeth smiled up at him. "More than your horse," she said, kissing his cheek.

Nathan laughed and Elizabeth said, _"Shhhhh,_ we don't want to wake everyone."

"Should I add that to the vows?" Nathan said.

"No!" she whispered, laughing. Running her fingers through his hair, she said, "I love you too, Nathan. I'm so happy. I can't wait for tomorrow."

She leaned up and kissed him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, angel," Nathan said. He waited until she closed the door and then he walked through the living room of the house where he'd grown up. He touched a table here, a vase there, straightened a photo, folded a lap quilt. He listened to the sounds of the dying fire, the creak of the floor, and the night birds singing outside.

He sighed, wishing Sarah was here to share in tomorrow's joy. On the heels of that thought, he felt her all around him in the room they'd known so well as children together. And he knew she would be at the pergola too.

Nathan fluffed his pillow and laid down on the sofa, covering himself with a blanket. He wasn't sure he could sleep, but with a vision of his sweet Elizabeth in his head, he was soon dreaming.


	45. Chapter 45

Elizabeth and Nathan's wedding day dawned bright and beautiful over the Grant ranch. The sky was a clear blue with a few scattered clouds; it was warm but not hot; the air was stirring lightly but not too much. They couldn't have designed a better day to get married.

Rebecca stationed herself in the kitchen and created a progressive breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, biscuits, homemade jams, fresh fruit and plenty of juice, coffee and tea. Rebecca asked for help when she needed it, and true to her birthday request, everyone cleaned up after themselves and she didn't have to wash so much as a teaspoon.

The early risers got to sit at the large harvest table in the kitchen, and those who slept in a little took their breakfast to the porch. People chatted, walked out on the property, took turns in the porch swing and just lazed through the morning.

Elizabeth and Nathan joined them through all of this until mid-morning. They glanced at each other across the table and would catch each other's eyes, knowing that their hearts were perfectly aligned. Both were excited, anxious, wanting to pay attention to every detail, fully aware that this day would forever be one that would change their lives.

After breakfast, Nathan and Elizabeth took their coffee out to the porch and Fiona and Kevin gracefully gave up the swing for them. They sat mostly in silence or spoke in whispers. Every once in a while, one or the other would shake their head or laugh softly in amazement at the journey that had brought them here.

Bill rode out from Airdrie early, and the wagon with Lucas, Ned, Henry, and Pastor Grady arrived soon after. Nathan and Elizabeth had a quick conversation with their officiant and then Elizabeth gave Nathan one last unmarried kiss.

Rosemary, Clara and Elizabeth picked up Allie at the pasture road in the wagon laden with dress boxes, flowers, shoes, petticoats and potions. Their destination was first the pergola and then the Summer Cabin where Elizabeth and Allie would get ready.

"Oh, Elizabeth!" Both Clara and Rosemary were in awe as they walked into the clearing. Allie and Elizabeth simply stood by proudly, feeling a kind of ownership of the space. They got to experience the wonder of it all over again as Rosemary and Clara used the same words that came to the mind of anyone who first set eyes on the flower-covered pergola, the stone floor beneath it and the perimeter of wildflowers bursting from the edge of the clearing. _Fantastic, magical, fairy-like, paradise, heaven._

The white camp chairs for the guests were arranged in a perfect circle around the center pergola. The benches held an abundance of white candles in varying sizes, and there were lanterns hung around the circle, ready to be lit for the reception that would follow the short ceremony and was expected to last until after dark.

There were long tables with pure white tablecloths on the far side of the clearing. They were ready and waiting for the mountains of finger sandwiches, salads, fruit, and cookies that were being made and wrapped happily by the guests themselves right now in the large ranch kitchen. Rebecca directed and organized with the skill of a drill sergeant, and the Hope Valley residents talked and laughed side-by-side; every one of them feeling the joy of the day.

Pastor Grady sat by, seeing first-hand the happiness that this marriage was bringing to so many. It was truly God in action, he thought, and he felt grateful to be a part of it.

Finally, everything was loaded into the wagons that had been decorated by Charlie and the ranch hands while the guests dressed for the ceremony. The side boards and the buckboard in front of the wagons were now draped with yellow honeysuckle garlands, purple iris, and pink morning glories.

After everyone found their place in the wagons, the three-tier wedding cake, baked with love and care by Rebecca, was gently lifted into the center of the wagon driven by Charlie. It was watched and guarded vigilantly by the occupants, in particular by Rebecca herself.

Nathan was resplendent in his red serge uniform. Instead of his leather belt and cross-strap with holster, he wore the formal gold striped web belt and no hat, but everything else was just as everyone knew him on the streets of Hope Valley.

Nathan held Jack on his lap, wearing a snow-white shirt ruffled down the buttons in front, and navy suspenders atop the long pants that Rosemary had made for him. They were exactly the same navy blue of Nathan's Mountie jodhpurs, and Rosemary had sewn a thin line of gold fabric down the sides. Jack was so adorable, people could hardly bear to look at him, and Fiona was in danger of exhausting her film supply taking pictures of Jack and Nathan together.

Finally, the wagons got underway. Bill, Kevin and Mike rode horses alongside. When they met the road to the campground, another wagon, similarly decorated, joined them. It was filled with the children and the families that had camped on the long pasture.

The half-hour ride seemed shorter somehow, with lively conversation and the anticipation of the mystery location for the ceremony. Only Nathan, Rebecca, Charlie and Julie were fully prepared for the ethereal beauty of the place.

One by one, the guests ducked under the two large oaks that marked the entrance to the clearing, forty or so feet in diameter. The oaks, pines and hemlocks that surrounded them rustled in the light breeze, and the yellow, white, pink and lavender wildflowers around the perimeter were exploding in their summer abundance.

And there, at the very center, the rustic pergola made from four straight, sturdy pine posts, topped with open beams. The vines of clematis and honeysuckle that curled up the posts and along the beams were in perfect order, forming the latticed roof under which Nathan and Elizabeth would be married. The stone floor on which they would stand was speckled with the soft afternoon sunlight.

One by one the guests stepped in and smiled, eyes wide with wonder. And one by one, they found their seats in the circle surrounding the pergola.

There was no music because it wasn't necessary. Nathan and Elizabeth had spent many hours out here in silence, but it was never silent, and their choice for the ceremony was to listen to the nature around them. A large variety of birds lived in the surrounding trees; chickadees, nuthatches, sparrows and doves among them, and they were all singing today. The rustling leaves and buzzing of life around the flowers made for a natural accompaniment to their songs.

Pastor Grady took his place within the pergola. "Good afternoon," he said to the assembled guests. He turned to Nathan and said, "Nathan, will you and Jack join me, please?" Rosemary and Rebecca were at the ready just in case Jack fussed, but he was calm, as he usually was when he was happily in Nathan's strong arms. He toyed absentmindedly with the brass buttons on Nathan's tunic as he looked solemnly around the circle.

Pastor Grady called to his left. "Elizabeth and Allie, will you join us, please?"

Elizabeth stepped out first from under the flowering elder and she and Allie laughed as they were rained on by its blossoms. They walked hand in hand, carrying wildflower bouquets, into the circle.

Allie wore a peach-colored chiffon dress that fell just to her ankles, with sleeves like rose petals over her shoulders. Her hair fell long and curled at the ends and she wore a garland of wildflowers around her head. She couldn't stop smiling.

Elizabeth's dress was simple and informal except for the tiny seed pearls that Rosemary and Clara had painstakingly sewn into the neckline and down the long skirt like tiny, brilliant waterfalls. The dress was cream-colored with a fitted bodice, full chiffon skirt and rose petal sleeves that matched Allie's.

As Elizabeth stepped into the dappled sunlight of the pergola, the pearls on her dress sparkled and shone. Her hair was long as well, and she also wore a garland of flowers. She laughed softly as she saw Nathan, because she was already crying, and she'd told him she would be.

Nathan could hardly breathe. He had never seen anyone more beautiful than Elizabeth, and his little Allie looked more like a young woman than a child. Jack pointed to Elizabeth and said, "Mama," which caused everyone to release the collective breath they were holding as they truly took in the family they saw before them. Everyone laughed in pure happiness.

Elizabeth took Nathan's hand, keeping her other hand in Allie's, and they stood in front of the pastor.

In a strong and joyous voice, Pastor Grady began. "Nathan and Elizabeth would like to thank you all for coming here today to witness their joining as husband and wife."

He looked around the circle, "Many of you have traveled far to be here, and you are welcomed with the deepest joy and the warmest gratitude."

Jack started to wiggle a little, and Nathan leaned close to him, nuzzling his neck and making him laugh softly and settle back in his arms.

Pastor Grady smiled at them and continued. "You can see that you are all in a circle. Not only does this symbolize God's love, which encircles everyone and everything, but in a practical sense, there is no bride's side or groom's side. Elizabeth and Nathan wanted it this way because they know you are all here for both of them."

The pastor placed his hands on Nathan's shoulder to his right, and on Allie's to his left, enclosing them all in a smaller circle. "Here in this beautiful place which is a testament to God's exquisite creation, we give thanks for the love that has grown not only between Nathan and Elizabeth, but also with Allie and Jack, and we bless the family that is formed with their joining today."

Then Nathan turned and handed Jack to Rebecca, and Allie stepped back a little and sat between Bill and Fiona.

"Please face one another," Pastor Grady said.

Nathan and Elizabeth turned and joined hands, for the first time really looking into each other's eyes. Elizabeth's tears had slowed, but her eyes glistened in the happiness she felt. She could see that Nathan's blue eyes were shining as well. She smiled at him, wondering how either of them would make it dry-eyed through the ceremony, and not really caring if they did.

"Nathan, do you take Elizabeth, whose hand you hold, as your wife? Do you stand before God and promise to love her with humility, gentleness and patience until death do you part?"

Nathan's voice was strong and clear. No one in the circle could doubt how deeply he felt it as he said, "I do."

"Elizabeth, do you take Nathan, whose hand you hold, as your husband? Do you stand before God and promise to love him with humility, gentleness and patience until death do you part?"

Filled with love for the man who stood before her, Elizabeth's voice was as sure as Nathan's had been. "I do."

Pastor Grady looked to his left. "Allie, do you have the rings?"

Allie stepped forward again, holding the pillow that Rosemary had made out of the same fabric as Allie's dress. Elizabeth smiled at Rosemary, noticing that she had chosen the contrasting ribbon of deep coral. And Jesse's warning had been heeded. The rings were held, but loosely, by the ribbon.

Allie handed Elizabeth's ring to Nathan and Nathan's to Elizabeth, and then she stepped back again and was seated.

Elizabeth turned to Nathan, holding his ring halfway on his finger. Now her voice broke a little as the beauty of this day became overwhelming. But she spoke clearly and slowly so that everyone could understand how deeply she felt the words she was saying. "Nathan, I will hold you always in my heart. In this circle of family and friends, surrounded by the love of God, I pledge myself to you with this ring." She pushed the ring all the way onto his finger and looked back up into his eyes.

Nathan took a deep breath, trying to keep his composure, at least for a little longer. His eyes, always Elizabeth's bellwether for his emotions, were the bright blue that she loved the best.

Nathan looked down and put his mother's and his great-grandmother's ring halfway onto Elizabeth's finger, and it became hers. He, too, spoke clearly, knowing the importance of the words he was saying. "Elizabeth, I will hold you always in my heart. May I be your devoted love, your partner in parenthood, and your constant friend. I pledge myself to you with this ring." As he pushed the ring gently on to Elizabeth's finger, he looked up at her again.

Knowing this was the moment they had waited for, both of them smiled radiantly at each other, and the tears began to fall down Elizabeth's cheeks.

Pastor Grady said jubilantly, "Go in love, Nathan and Elizabeth. It is my pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."

Nathan took Elizabeth's face in both of his hands and whispered, his voice shaking with emotion, "I love you," and then he bent to kiss her. They held the kiss for a long moment. When they pulled away Elizabeth looked up at Nathan and said, "I love you."

They kissed again and the circle erupted in smiles, laughter and applause. Everyone was expecting Nathan and Elizabeth to walk out of the circle, but they stayed. Nathan turned and lifted Jack from Rebecca's arms, and Elizabeth took Allie's hand and brought her back to the center. As she did, Bill handed something to Elizabeth.

Nathan looked around the circle, smiling at each person in turn. They were all standing now, and Nathan motioned for them to be seated. "Again, thank you for coming so far and sharing this day with us." He looked at Elizabeth in absolute bliss, and continued. "Today is our wedding day, but as Pastor Grady said, it's also the beginning of a new family. Now that we're married, we can do something we've been wanting to do for a long time." He looked at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was starting to cry again, but she would let nothing stop her from saying what she needed to say. "We know that on wedding days, gifts are usually given to the bride and groom. Today we want to give a gift to someone else. Someone we love very much." Elizabeth looked at Allie beside her. She handed Allie a sheet of paper, rolled up and tied with a beautiful peach-colored ribbon and bow.

Allie looked up at her and then at Nathan, bewildered. Elizabeth said, "Open it, Allie."

Allie untied the ribbon and looked at the paper. Her breathing changed and her eyes filled with tears. She looked up and waved the piece of paper in delight and said, "I'm _adopted!"_ Then she turned and was enveloped by Nathan, Elizabeth and Jack. The four of them stood together while everyone stood again, cheering, clapping, crying and hugging each other.

Rebecca and Rosemary from one side, and Julie and Clara from the other, couldn't help themselves. They hugged Nathan, Elizabeth and Allie, and kissed Jack delightedly. Permission granted to the rest of the group, everyone was suddenly in the center of the pergola, a living, breathing, crying, laughing embodiment of the love around them.

In the very center, Nathan and Elizabeth had found the place that was most peaceful for them, in each other's arms. So solemn was this peace, that even with the crowds around them, they were given a space inside it, completely loved but left alone together.

There would be time. Everyone knew that when the food was brought out, the cake was cut, the sun went low and the lanterns were lit, there would be time to congratulate the happy couple, to exchange kisses, hugs and stories, to take photos and talk about the future.

But for right now, Nathan and Elizabeth Grant were allowed solitude. They were in their own universe, complete and committed to one another for as long as they lived. As they stood holding each other, their breath slowed, and their hearts calmed.

They pulled away and looked into each other's eyes. Nathan said softly, "Happy?" Elizabeth answered, "Deliriously." They shared one more kiss before turning and opening the love they felt to everyone celebrating around them.


	46. Chapter 46

"I can't seem to stop smiling," Elizabeth said.

Rosemary laughed softly. "You're not supposed to stop smiling, Elizabeth. It's your wedding day."

Elizabeth very seldom drank alcohol, but today she had allowed herself one small glass of champagne. The bubbles were long gone, but she was still sipping on its delicious sweetness.

She looked across the clearing at her little boy who was currently charming a large number of the guests just by walking around in his Mountie pants. Rebecca was happily in charge of watching him, but she kept having to give him up. Elizabeth thought they needed to get Rebecca and Charlie to Hope Valley for a visit sooner rather than later.

The sun was moving low in the sky, and Nathan and Elizabeth had decided they'd stay at the pergola until just before sunset. This was the first time either of them had been able to sit down since before the ceremony; and they were very happy to be sitting with Lee and Rosemary. They were all on a far bench, just watching and listening as the party went on.

There was a stone wall behind them and Elizabeth was leaning against Nathan. His arms were completely around her, clasped at her waist. Every once in a while, Nathan would whisper in her ear, _We're married,_ or _Mrs. Grant,_ and she would whisper back, _I know!_ Or _Mr. Grant?_ Or he would kiss her neck and she'd sigh. It was lucky they were with Rosemary and Lee, who had been married recently enough that they not only understood; they were enjoying it completely.

Elizabeth and Nathan had hugged every person, talked to most of them, eaten small bites of the delicious food, listened to the toasts, sat for pictures, and cut the cake. They had thoroughly enjoyed their own wedding reception, and now they were slowing down and taking in the beauty of the space, listening to the joy of the guests, and soaking up the love they felt from everyone.

In a very short while, they would thank everyone again, wave goodbye and go through the trees to the Summer Cabin. But when everyone you love is in one place, and you are the guests of honor, it's very hard to leave.

Rosemary was still talking about the ceremony. "The circle of chairs was positively inspired! I don't think I can plan another wedding without it! Whose idea was that?"

"Both of us," Nathan said, "And it started out as just being practical. We didn't want you all to have to decide if you were here for the bride or the groom."

Lee nodded vigorously. "Thank you for that. There would have been a lot of married couples standing in the aisle," he said, making a face at Rosemary.

"Lee!" Rosemary said. Then she shook her head and rolled her eyes at Elizabeth, who laughed.

Lee said, "I liked your pastor, Grady, was it? Don't suppose he'd be interested in moving to Hope Valley? This waiting on visiting pastors is getting fairly old."

Nathan laughed. "We already asked him, and believe me, my mother would have something to say about us stealing him away."

"Speaking of your mother," Rosemary said, "That was so sweet, letting everyone know they could stay on for as long as they wanted. Is she ready for _all_ of us to stay? Her _cooking!"_

Nathan laughed. "Don't tempt her. She would love it if we all stayed. Nothing makes her happier than having a houseful of hungry people and a kitchen full of helpers."

Nathan looked beyond the pergola to the other side of the clearing. There was something he needed to do. "Excuse me for a minute?" he said to Elizabeth, Rosemary and Lee. "Be back in just a bit, my _bride,"_ He said the last word with his lips on Elizabeth's neck. She nodded, giggling.

Lucas had been sitting on the perimeter of the clearing for a long time talking with Julie, Fiona and Kevin. The other three had gone back for drinks and had been temporarily waylaid by other guests, so Lucas was alone.

Nathan walked across the clearing and said, "Hey, Lucas."

Lucas looked up. "Ah, the man of the hour!" He stood and shook Nathan's hand. "Again, congratulations. It was quite a touching ceremony."

"Thank you," Nathan said, smiling. "Um... do you mind if I sit here for a minute?" Nathan asked.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "I'd be honored."

Nathan paused, wondering how to open this conversation, and then he just decided to say it.

"I owe you an apology, Lucas."

"What for?" Lucas said, frowning.

"I... I've been meaning to talk to you for a while." He looked up. "I don't think I've been very fair to you at times. Actually, I haven't been very nice, either."

Lucas smiled and nodded, "Ah, we're having _this_ discussion." He raised his glass. "I should tell you that I've been drinking champagne and it tends to act a little like a truth serum on me."

Nathan smiled. "Good. That means we won't have to dance around it, then."

Smiling, Lucas said, "You needn't have worried, Nathan. I never had a chance with Elizabeth. I daresay I always knew it was you she should be with."

Nathan nodded. "I think I know that now. But I didn't then. Truth is, I was jealous."

Lucas nodded. "And I felt the same. But I've thought a lot about this. It was always just a friendship. I liked the way I felt about _myself_ around Elizabeth..." Lucas narrowed his eyes at Nathan. "Champagne aside, is this _too_ much honesty? It is your wedding day."

"No, it's good," Nathan said. "I'm a big fan of honesty. I haven't had enough of it practiced on me in my life. So fire away."

Lucas continued. "I've been considered somewhat of a scoundrel my entire adult life. Elizabeth reflected a different person back to me, someone who could be taken seriously as a member of the community. I do care about Hope Valley, Nathan."

Nodding, Nathan said, "I've realized that over time. I'm sorry it took me so long. And I do know what you mean about Elizabeth. She sees the best in everyone, and when she sees it in you... you want to live up to it."

Lucas nodded, smiling. "Yes, exactly. Very well put."

"But I am sorry for the way I acted at times," Nathan said.

Lucas nodded. "Well, then, it goes both ways. So I apologize as well." He chuckled. "I was in particularly bad form when I told Elizabeth you hated Christmas crowds, knowing full well that she loved them."

Nathan remembered it well and smiled. "I thought I should turn to her and introduce myself as Ebenezer Scrooge."

Lucas laughed and shook his head. "I don't know why I made it into such a competition."

Nathan smiled. "Oh, you weren't the only one making it a competition." Nathan suddenly laughed. "Could you believe that Carson just walked up to that thing, took one swing of the hammer and almost knocked the bell off the top? That was _not_ easy!"

Lucas laughed too. "You and I, like a couple of adolescents trying to win a fishing pole for Allie to impress Elizabeth. And the town doctor wanders in and does it in one try."

Nathan narrowed his eyes and smiled. "At least _you_ didn't win it."

Lucas did the same. _"Exactly_ what I was thinking."

Nathan laughed softly. "Well, there's one thing we have in common already."

Lucas said, "And Allie... that probably wasn't my best introduction to you. Teaching your niece a card trick."

That made Nathan think of the night before. "So, Lucas, last night when you did that trick for Julie, and Allie walked by? What did she say?"

Lucas laughed. "She threatened to tell my secret. I told her that the Magician's Code of Ethics forbids it."

Nathan frowned. "There's a Magician's Code of Ethics?"

"There is."

"Who knew?" Nathan said quietly.

They sat for a moment in silence, and then Nathan said, "This is good, Lucas. We may be very different people, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends. You've done a lot for Hope Valley. People really like you, and better yet, they trust you." Nathan stopped and looked at him. "Don't laugh, but have you thought of putting your name in for Mayor?"

Lucas laughed. So loudly that a few people turned. Elizabeth, Rosemary and Lee didn't need to turn because they'd been watching the conversation unfold from across the clearing for quite some time.

Rosemary, in particular, was beside herself. "What _can_ they be talking about for _such_ a long time. And they keep laughing!"

Elizabeth said, "I honestly don't have a clue. I don't think I've heard them exchange more than a few sentences at a time since Lucas got to Hope Valley."

Nathan happened to look over and caught the eyes of Lee, Rosemary and Elizabeth before they quickly turned away. He smiled and stood. "Well, we probably shouldn't overdo this friendship thing right out of the gate. We'll break it to everyone slowly."

Lucas nodded, standing and putting his hand out. "I couldn't agree more. We don't want them going into shock," he said, smiling. "And Nathan...?" he said as Nathan shook his hand. "I won't say the better man won. But I can absolutely say that the _right_ man did."

Nathan smiled. "Thank you, Lucas. I appreciate you saying that." With that, Nathan turned and walked back to Elizabeth, just as Julie made her way back to Lucas.

Without saying anything, Nathan sat back down and Elizabeth found her spot against him. Rosemary watched Nathan for a while and then raised her eyebrows.

"What?" Nathan said, knowing full well that Rosemary was dying to know what he had talked about with Lucas.

Elizabeth nudged him. "Don't tease us. What did you talk about? That's the longest conversation you've ever had with Lucas!"

Nathan shook his head. "Not true. He and I rode a trail for at least thirty minutes once and we talked all the way." He snuggled her head into his shoulder. "That's only the longest conversation we've ever had with _you_ watching."

Lee, who hadn't said a word through all of this, said, smiling, "Ah, and the truth is out." He turned to Nathan. "Careful, buddy, marriage will do that to you. You find yourself just blurting out the truth at the strangest times."

Nathan laughed. "I know! It's like a disease."

Elizabeth and Rosemary poked them both at the same time and Lee and Nathan flinched in unison. _"Ouch!"_

Nathan smiled and hugged her. "Okay, if you must know, I apologized to him. For not being very nice sometimes. He apologized to me for the same thing, and now I think we're friends."

Rosemary was speechless – something that didn't happen often. Men were truly from a different planet. Women who were at odds would take hours, days, _years_ to talk things through. Men say _Let's be friends_ and they're friends.

Nathan was saved more explanation by Julie, who came and dropped herself on the bench between Elizabeth and Rosemary. "This is the _best_ wedding reception I have _ever_ attended."

Elizabeth said, "That's a very sweet thing to say, Julie, but really? You've gone to hundreds in Hamilton."

Julie nodded solemnly. "Those may have been more elegant, they may have cost more, but this is the _best."_ She squeezed Elizabeth and sighed. "And this," she said, gesturing to her surroundings, "Is the most _beautiful_ place on earth."

Elizabeth sighed. "I think I'll have to agree with you on that one."

Julie took a deep breath. "So. I've made my decision."

Elizabeth sat forward, expectant. "And...?"

Julie said excitedly, "I'm moving to Hope Valley!"

Elizabeth and Rosemary both hugged her. "I'm so happy, Julie!" Elizabeth said.

Nathan smiled, genuinely happy, "That's great, Julie."

"And for a while, we'll be next door neighbors," Rosemary said.

While the women talked, Nathan moved around to the other side of Lee. "That means we really need to get our house finished, Lee. Are we set for floors this week?"

Lee smiled. "All set."

"And interior doors right after?"

"No problem."

Nathan looked at Lee. He seemed very confident, but Nathan trusted him. Anyway, he didn't need to solve it today. He shook hands and stood up.

Nathan looked up at the sky. There was just the slightest tinge of pink, which meant the sun was getting ready to set.

He looked over at Elizabeth and she was looking at the sky too, while Rosemary and Julie talked. Their eyes locked for a moment, and then Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and smiled a little nervously, her eyes sparkling.

Nathan sighed deeply. Silently he said, _I love you._ And silently she said the same. He reached out and she took his hand, standing up. They turned to Rosemary, Julie and Lee, and Elizabeth said, "Well, we're off." She knew that her pink cheeks were back and she didn't really care.

They all stood to hug them goodnight.

"Oh!" Rosemary said, "Well, then... we'll see you both tomorrow at the Airdrie depot? Or on the train? Or..."

Lee stepped in and said, simply, "We'll see you."

Nathan hugged Julie and said, smiling, "Glad you're coming back with us, _sister-in-law._ Elizabeth will be so glad to have you nearby."

Julie squeezed Nathan's arm. "I'm so glad she married you, Nathan. You're very good together."

"I know," he said, breathing deeply. "I'm pretty much the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

As quickly as they could, the happy couple moved around the clearing. They hugged Rebecca and Allie, kissed and snuggled Jack, shook hands and said _thank you for coming_ many times.

As they moved, they'd gathered people like an ocean swell, and by the time they reached the elder trees, their friends and family were waving them goodbye. They were fairly sure it was Jesse who started the chant, "Kiss her!" and after an appropriate amount of time with Elizabeth blushing, Nathan turned to her.

"They won't let us leave without kissing, you know," he whispered to her.

Smiling up at him, she said, "Well, we'd better get on with it then."

Elizabeth threw her arms around him and instead of waiting to be kissed, she did the kissing. The crowd cheered.

At the moment their lips touched, the breeze picked up a little bit, and the tiny flat blossoms of the blueberry elders fell softly on their heads, their shoulders, and the bright red serge of Nathan's tunic. The creamy white blossoms looked like snow traveling sideways.

Fiona was in the front and she snapped a picture just before Carson did the same. They looked at each other, hopeful that one of the photos would even begin to convey what a beautiful sight it was.

The crowd quieted, and after a moment the bride and the groom pulled away from each other. But only so they could take hands and Nathan could lead Elizabeth into the white-petaled tunnel and beyond to the Summer Cabin. And they never looked back.


	47. Chapter 47

And just like that, they were alone.

No more rules to break, no more worries about propriety, no more watchful eyes or judgement. And instead of making them bold, they became shy.

Before opening the door to the Summer Cabin, Nathan turned to Elizabeth. They were both wearing the white flower blossoms, and without speaking, they began to brush them off of each other. Nathan plucked them out of Elizabeth's hair, as she restored his red serge to its pristine color.

"I want to tell you something," Nathan said as he found another white petal in a curl at her forehead. At the tiny frown that was starting between Elizabeth's brows, he said quickly, "You're going to like it."

She relaxed immediately. "Okay."

"Last night, before I fell asleep, I was walking around the living room, remembering the times that Sarah and I used to play there as children. I felt this sadness that she wouldn't ever meet you or Jack, and that she couldn't see us getting married today."

"Oh, Nathan," Elizabeth said, softly, touching his face, "I wish you'd knocked on my door. I would have sat with you a little longer."

He smiled at her. "I know that, but I only felt that way for a second. Suddenly, I had this absolute certainty that Sarah was all around me, and that she would be here today."

Nodding, Elizabeth said, "I'm sure she was."

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "I _know_ she was. And she sent me proof this time."

He held up one of the tiny blossoms. "Sarah used to stand right there under that elder tree, just waiting for the wind to blow. One day when we were about Allie's age, she said that on the day she got married, she would stand there and the moment she kissed her husband, the wind would blow and it would be like it was snowing in June."

Nathan exhaled. "Her exact words. I'll never forget it, because I told her she was a silly, sentimental fool and that life didn't work that way."

He looked at Elizabeth. "Do you remember there being any wind in the clearing at _any_ time today? I don't."

Elizabeth looked back at him, her eyes laughing. "Nope. Not a breath."

Nathan shook his head. "That would be just like Sarah, to give me a kick in the pants to let me know she was right about something."

"I would have liked her," Elizabeth said matter-of-factly.

Nathan sighed. "She would have _loved_ you." He squeezed her hand. "And she was right. Real life _is_ romantic, Elizabeth, and sometimes when you kiss the woman you love on your wedding day in June, it snows."

Elizabeth laughed. "Sometimes it does."

He looked at her, his eyes soft. "I keep thinking I'll wake up," Nathan said.

"Me too," she said, leaning her head against his chest.

He wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly, and then, without warning, Nathan bent and put his strong arm under her legs and lifted her like she was a feather.

"Nathan!" Elizabeth laughed and quickly put her arms around his neck.

He balanced her carefully and opened the door, pushing it with his boot, while Elizabeth continued to laugh in pure joy. "You're going to have to do this again in Hope Valley, you know!" she said.

He kissed her just behind the ear. "I'll do it a hundred times," he said, his warm breath on her neck making her shiver. Putting her down gently, Nathan looked around. All the lamps were lit. There was a basket of fruit and another of cheese, fresh rolls, butter and jam on the table.

"Well, we won't starve," Nathan said.

Elizabeth looked at the bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket with two crystal glasses next to it. "Or die of thirst," she said, looking at him from under her lashes.

Nathan walked to her and took the bottle. He grimaced a little. "This was not in the wedding manual," he said, "But how hard can it be?"

Elizabeth laughed. "If I've learned anything from champagne bottles, it's to aim _up and out,"_ she said. "Away from lamps, vases, lanterns, and people."

He turned to her. "That's right! A Hamilton girl. You're probably an expert at this." He smiled and started to hand her the bottle.

"Oh, no," she said quickly. "Husband's job."

Nathan took a quick breath. "Could you say that again, please?"

"Husband," Elizabeth said softly, leaning up to kiss him.

Nathan closed his eyes and let the word wash over him. "Wife," he said, against her lips.

They both fell headlong into the kiss, utterly aware that there was no one here to say no, and nothing more to stop them. And the weightless feeling of that freedom made them both step back from the edge of the cliff, a little breathless.

"The champagne," Elizabeth said in a whisper.

"Good idea," Nathan said, his heart beating firmly in his chest.

They both needed just a little more time, and they looked at each other in complete understanding and smiled. Still in sync, walking the path at the same speed, as they had since they'd first confessed their love to each other.

Nathan held up the bottle, inspecting the top meticulously. "So, my guess would be to untwist the wires and then wait for it to blow." He looked at Elizabeth and said, "Correct?"

She laughed. "So I'll assume this wasn't a part of your Mountie training?"

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Wedding champagne protocol? Need I remind you? They don't really encourage this sort of thing at Headquarters..."

Elizabeth said, "No going back now, Constable Grant. You're all _mine."_ She looked at the bottle in his hand. "Okay, hand it over, then."

Nathan gave her the bottle and stood behind her with his hands clasped tightly around her waist.

Elizabeth began, "You hold the bottle like this..."

He said softly in her ear. "Oh, the teacher voice. That's my favorite of the many Elizabeth voices."

She turned, making a face. "I have voices?"

Nathan nodded. "Many of them. Continue..."

"I want to know more about that later, all my voices," she said.

"Later," he whispered into her neck.

Taking a deep breath and trying to regain her concentration, Elizabeth said, "You hold the bottle like this. Away from you. Then you carefully untwist the wire..."

Nathan smiled. "I had it right so far," he said, proud of himself.

Elizabeth laughed. "Yes, but the _waiting for it to blow_ part could have taken a while. You want to put your thumbs here, under the cork, and gently..." Elizabeth did exactly as she was explaining. "Turn the bottle as you push..."

The cork went flying safely into the upper corner of the room. Elizabeth squealed. "Oh, I forgot, be sure you have glasses ready..." she said quickly, as the champagne bottle overflowed copiously and splashed over the table before Nathan managed to get the two glasses under it.

They were both laughing and trying to mop up. "I would say that was _moderately_ successful," Nathan said, shaking his head at her.

"In my defense, it's been a long time since I've done that!" Elizabeth said, wiping the champagne off of her chiffon skirt. "Oh, my beautiful dress..."

Handing her a glass, Nathan said, "Did I tell you how beautiful you were... you are... " He shook his head. "That dress, Elizabeth. And you in it. I couldn't breathe when you and Allie walked out."

Elizabeth smiled, taking the glass. "I think you told me a few times. Maybe a dozen or fifty or so times during the reception... And each time you said it, I told you how handsome you looked. But most of all," she said, looking up at him, "It was your eyes. Did you know that they change color? They get more blue, brighter, when you're feeling things deeply." She kissed him softly. "So, I blush and you have a window into my thoughts. And your eyes give me a window into your feelings."

"And what color are they now, angel?" he said, very softly. "What am I feeling?" He kissed her cheek, then her eyes, then moved down to her lips.

Elizabeth sighed with a small sound, her eyes closed as he kissed her. "They're very blue and you love me. And that's a miracle. Because I love you just as much, and in this whole great world we found each other." She opened her eyes. "Do you know how many people never do? They never find their person, the one who will _love them with humility, gentleness and patience until death do they part?"_ she said, reciting the vows they had taken only a few short hours ago.

Nathan's eyes were very blue.

He raised his glass, and said softly, "To you, my wife, my one true love, the greatest surprise of my life."

Elizabeth smiled and sighed. "Did you plan that, or did it just come to you?"

Nathan laughed softly. "It just came to me, a little like my proposal. I'm grateful I didn't mention my horse this time."

Elizabeth laughed. "I told you you're a writer." She raised her glass. "To you, my dear Nathan. I couldn't love you more. I can't wait for tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow... but for tonight..." She put the glass to her lips and bravely drained the contents, laughing when the bubbles popped around her nose.

Nathan did the same and then took both glasses and put them on the table. He looked at her for a long moment, and she back at him. He raised his eyebrows tentatively in a question.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and nodded to him, smiling shyly.

Slowly, tenderly, Nathan lifted the flower garland from Elizabeth's hair and smoothed her curls. Elizabeth reached up and unclasped the top brass button of Nathan's red serge tunic.

They were both trembling, and so deeply in love. But they were together... And they knew that together they could do anything.

Outside, just beyond the blueberry elders, people were beginning to move toward the wagons after watching the sunset. Rebecca gave some last minute instructions to Charlie so he could direct the ranch hands in breaking down the tables and chairs in the morning.

"The train leaves at 7:30, and Nathan knows that they need to be ready for the wagon here by six so they can get back to the ranch house and make their train. Jack is in Lee and Rosemary's room tonight, in the crib. Julie is packing up Elizabeth and Jack's things and Allie will manage herself."

Charlie whistled softly. "That doesn't give them much sleep." He raised an eyebrow at Rebecca and smiled.

She smiled back. "They can sleep on the train, Charlie. Did you see those two at the reception?" She took Charlie's arm. "God above, I'm so happy for my boy that I can hardly think. How much more in love could two people be?"

Charlie looked around at the darkened clearing. The few people left were bustling around, paying no attention. Charlie snuck up on her, kissed her on the cheek, and grinned. Rebecca laughed and pushed him away affectionately. "Don't you be getting ideas, you old coot, we might break something." Charlie laughed and hugged her anyway.

In fact, the love on display from Elizabeth and Nathan had worked its magic on a quite a few of the wedding guests. There were the couples everyone would expect - Rosemary and Lee, Jesse and Clara, and Carson and Faith. There was a budding romance they hadn't expected – Fiona and Kevin. But the pairing that at first made them scratch their heads, and then nod, was Julie and Lucas.

From practically the moment Lucas had stepped off the train, they'd been inseparable. They had barely stopped talking since then, and those who happened to overhear snippets of conversation heard talk of Paris, and books, and Hamilton and New Orleans. And the more those who knew them wrapped their minds around it, the more sense it made.

They had taken the first wagon out after the reception. Julie said she needed to get herself and Elizabeth packed up for the train the next day, but she hadn't even made it to the room. Lucas had taken her hand and led her to the porch.

"I've been hearing about this magical porch swing for two days, but every time I've come out here, it's been occupied." He rounded the corner and raised an eyebrow and smiled. "But not now."

Lucas pulled her around gently and said, "Please sit and hold our place?"

"Gladly. The last time I was here, I was the third wheel with Nathan and Elizabeth. Tonight, I have my own dashing man to sit with," Julie said.

"So, I think the choices are coffee, tea, lemonade, cider, or... whiskey," Lucas said.

"What are you having?" Julie asked.

He lowered his chin and smiled. "Since I own the saloon in Hope Valley, I think I could call it research..."

Julie smiled. "Whiskey it is. How wonderfully decadent."

"Be right back."

Julie watched him go and sighed a little. She had decided to move to Hope Valley before she had spent much time with Lucas, but it did sweeten the pot to know that he was there.

It was so interesting to Julie that she had just told Elizabeth she wanted to imagine a different life for herself, and now she could almost see it. She'd wanted to not be seen as silly and trivial, and she'd spent the last two evenings and much of the days talking to a man who made her feel as if she had opinions that mattered and that her value went far beyond her looks or her money.

Although Elizabeth didn't think it was possible, Julie _could_ control herself. She wasn't interested in starting a relationship - but a friendship with a very handsome, sophisticated and intelligent man was an attractive prospect.

What had he said this evening? "_You know what your problem is, Julie? You've been told too many times how pretty you are, and not enough times how smart you are. And since you already know that you're pretty, I'm going to tell you you're smart."_

Julie smiled. It might have been a line, but Julie had heard enough _bad_ lines from men to appreciate a good one.

Lucas came back with two perfect glasses of whiskey. He bowed slightly and handed her one, and then he turned and sat next to her. He touched his glass to hers and said, "To love..." he paused for a moment and finished, "...of the type we saw today."

They each took a sip and Lucas said, "I'd like to ask you a question, but I want you to feel free not to answer it."

Julie looked at him. "Well, that's intriguing. Okay, I will only answer if I want to."

"You knew Elizabeth with Jack Thornton. And I've heard that theirs was a great love, but I see Nathan and Elizabeth and wonder how much better it could be than this."

Earlier in the evening, they had talked about Literature classes in school and how impossible it was to equate one great book to another. So Lucas referenced something Julie had said earlier. "Purely from an empirical standpoint, of course, can you compare and contrast?"

Julie laughed softly. "How many times have you been in love, Lucas?"

Taken a bit aback, Lucas said, smiling, "I think I'd like to defer that answer to another time."

She raised her eyebrow. "You're very good at evading questions, you know that?" Moving closer to him, she whispered, "I don't give up easily. I'm a Thatcher."

He laughed and whispered back, "I am duly warned."

She took another sip of whiskey, "In any case, in my experience there are different kinds of love. So to answer your question; Elizabeth loved Jack very much and he loved her. But if you think of it like a fire, there are those that burn bright and blaze out fast, and those that have embers buried deep inside that burn for a very long time. Nathan and Elizabeth are the second kind."

Nodding, Lucas said, "That was very poetic. And an effective metaphor. I know exactly what you mean."

"So you _have_ been in love," she said quietly.

Lucas looked at her for a long moment, and then smiled. "I like talking to you. I like being with you, and I'd like to explore all these subjects with you further." He sipped his whiskey and looked out at the trees in the moonlight. "Are you moving to Hope Valley, Julie? You told me earlier that you were thinking about it."

Julie swirled the whiskey in her glass and thought for a moment. "I like you too, Lucas. You listen to me. I know I'm intelligent, but for my whole life the only things that have been required of me are charm and poise and beauty. The requisites to snagging a husband with the right pedigree."

Julie sighed. "I'm exhausted by it, honestly. I have no desire to live that life anymore." She touched her glass to his again. "So, yes. I'm moving to Hope Valley. When Elizabeth moves out of her house, I'm moving in. My mother and father and Viola will be horrified and I don't care."

"I'm glad to hear it," Lucas said softly. "And what will you do? Will you miss the charity lunches and the dinner dances? Our great excitement is movie night every month in the saloon."

"That sounds wonderful!" Laughing, Julie said wide-eyed, "I have _no_ idea what I'll do! I don't even know what I could be good at. I've never had to find out." She turned on the swing to face Lucas. "But I know one thing, if I wanted to be a... a... _blacksmith_ in Hope Valley I think the town would get used to the idea. In Hamilton, which is supposed to be the land of opportunity, I have a very narrow window of what I can be."

Lucas laughed. "I do like your passion, Julie. I don't know about blacksmith, because we already have one. But you might be interested to know that Kevin also fixes and makes jewelry."

Julie raised her eyebrows. "Wait, _this_ Kevin? The one with Fiona? How surprising. I thought blacksmiths were huge and sweaty and bald."

Lucas said, chuckling, "You might find yourself moving past those stereotypes, because in Hope Valley, they don't usually apply. The Judge also owns the café. Clara not only works at the dress shop, but also the café and occasionally at the saloon." Lucas laughed softly, remembering his conversation with Nathan. "In fact, I'm the saloon owner and just this evening it was suggested to me that I might run for Mayor."

"And will you?"

"I don't know," Lucas said. "But I like knowing that Hope Valley is a place where that's possible. That a scoundrel and a reprobate such as myself could someday find himself in the Mayor's office."

Julie frowned and said softly, "I haven't known you for very long, but I don't think you're either a scoundrel or a reprobate. Believe me, I've learned to recognize them."

Lucas took her hand and kissed it. "Thank you for that," he said, but he continued to hold her hand.

Julie tilted her head slightly. "Maybe not a scoundrel, but you are a charmer, Lucas Bouchard." She gently retrieved her hand. "I'm going to keep my eye on you."

Lucas raised an eyebrow and smiled at her. "I couldn't ask for anything more."


	48. Chapter 48

"And don't forget to take those tomatoes to Jake at the General Store. Oh, and the lettuce. And that rhubarb will be ready any day. It'll all just go to waste in the garden," Rebecca said. She was issuing rapid-fire instructions to the three ranch hands, who were nodding and taking notes.

Charlie had hold of her arm and was inching her, little by little, toward the steps up to the train.

Rebecca continued, "Go out and take a good look at the far pasture, just in case the campers left anything. If they did, just put it aside and we'll mail it to them when we get back. And you three eat all that leftover food, you hear? Just clear out the kitchen. Anything that goes bad, put in the compost..."

The whistle sounded and Charlie said, laughing, "You'll be here to do it all yourself if you don't get up on that train, woman!"

Finally he managed to step up and take her with him, and none too soon. The steam blew and it started to move.

She turned to Charlie and said, "I hate this train."

He smiled and said, "Yeah, but you love your son. And today, love won out."

After hearing everyone say how much they wanted to stay but that they had to get back to their farms, or their job, or school, or the store, or the switchboard, or their business – Rebecca had thrown her hands up and said, "Well, then, that cuts it. You've invited me, and I'm coming with you. I need to see how Hope Valley throws a party."

Lucas had turned quickly to Bill and said, "No pressure."

Bill had nodded and whispered, "We may need to step up the food tomorrow night."

The cheer that had erupted from the group when she'd said she was coming to Hope Valley for a visit had warmed Rebecca down to her bones.

The Grant Wedding Party was well-represented on the train. Thirty in all, spread out in convivial groups just as they had been at the ranch house and in the clearing. By some law of mathematics, they could be sure that practically everyone had talked to everyone over the three days they'd all been together.

The couple of honor were not interacting much right now, however. They had found a secluded spot next to a warm window and looked to be sound asleep already. They'd used up any energy they had just trying to keep their eyes open on the wagon rides from the pergola to the house and then the house to the train.

Elizabeth had remarked to Nathan that this morning was the second time in three days that she'd seen the sun come up, and, happy as she was, she needed a vacation from her vacation. He'd promised her some sleep on the train, and she was taking him up on it.

Across the aisle from them, Jack was being cared for vigilantly by Anna, Emily, Allie and Opal in the area between two facing benches. They were whispering so they wouldn't wake up Nathan and Elizabeth. They'd blocked off the way out with suitcases and were all contentedly coloring pictures in Jack's makeshift playpen.

Before she'd fallen asleep, the new Mrs. Grant, always the schoolteacher, had given them an assignment. "Why don't you draw some pictures of all the wonderful things you've seen in Airdrie and you can show them to the children who weren't able to come."

"I'm drawing the stables," Emily said. "And Sugar. She was my favorite."

"I liked Sunset the best," Opal said.

Allie said, "Sunset is my dad's horse, but I'm sure he'd let you ride her if you wanted."

Allie had spent such a long time wanting to say _my dad_ that now she couldn't stop saying it. For Allie to call Nathan her father didn't sound strange to the other children because, in the way that children do, they had already thought of Nathan that way. They were a little more curious about Allie's relationship with Elizabeth.

They all knew that there had been lots of times that Allie had spent the night at Elizabeth's while Nathan was away. But until now, they didn't feel like they could ask questions. Now that the wedding ceremony had made them so visibly a family, all the things the girls wondered about came out.

"You're so lucky that Mrs. Grant is your mom now," Anna said. "Is she as nice at home as she is at school?"

Allie grinned. "Yes. She's just the same. Except that I get more time with her at home."

"Does she help you with your homework?" Opal asked.

Allie smiled. "She doesn't give me any answers, if that's what you mean. But if I have a question she'll help me, just like she would with you if you asked her."

Emily sighed. "She's always so pretty." She turned to Allie and said, "Is she that pretty all the time?"

Allie laughed. "She really is. Even right when she wakes up."

If they had happened to look over, they would have seen Nathan smile. Although Elizabeth had gone right to sleep, Nathan was only dozing, half-listening to the girls. When Allie had called him _my dad,_ Nathan had taken a deep breath to fill up the sudden space in his chest.

Nathan had spent plenty of time wondering if he'd messed up being a father to Allie. It had been easier since he had Elizabeth helping him, but before that he was flying blind. Allie being so anxious to make that leap to calling him her dad made Nathan feel he must have done okay after all.

Now, while he listened, he remembered the early days with Allie. She'd stayed for a little while with Rebecca, but when she was just five her grandmother had decided that life on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, so far from anyone, wasn't good for a little girl who wanted friends and to be social. Nathan had a posting that looked to be fairly stable so he'd agreed to take her full-time when Rebecca asked him. Then the Mounties had started moving him around.

Nathan believed that Rebecca had given Allie up because she couldn't raise a young girl, but in truth, Rebecca knew that if a person was going to do well in the world, they had to learn to _be_ in the world. Nathan was in the world. With him, Allie would be too.

As Rebecca had watched Allie over the weekend interacting with her friends, she'd known she'd made the right decision. Raising Nathan and Sarah alone had been one thing – they'd always had each other. But Allie would have been completely alone. With Nathan, Allie had grown into a confident, fun-loving thirteen-year-old with lots of friends.

Nathan moved a tiny bit and adjusted Elizabeth's head on his chest, still keeping his eyes closed. It was warm in the sunshine through the window and it felt incredible to just hold Elizabeth in his arms as she slept. Actually, at this moment Nathan's happiness existed on so many levels that it was hard for him to take it all in.

"I'm drawing a picture of Mountie Nathan and Mrs. Thorn... Mrs. _Grant._.. when they got married," Opal said. Then she smiled. "Jack's pants made him look just like a Mountie too. And your dress was so pretty."

Allie smiled. "I felt like a princess."

Opal was using the red pencil to color Nathan's tunic. She looked up at Allie thoughtfully. "For a long time, I didn't think there could ever be a Mountie as brave as Mountie Jack," she said. "But I think Mountie Nathan, your dad, is just as brave."

Nathan smiled. Next to him he heard a sleepy whisper. "You have no idea what high praise that is."

Tilting his head to look at Elizabeth, he whispered back, "You're awake."

She smiled up at him and snuggled into his chest, her eyes soft. "And you're still here, so it wasn't a dream. Yesterday was such a beautiful day, Nathan." She looked over at the children, who still didn't know they were awake. "And now," she said, "I need to think of lesson plans. And how to get Julie into my place while we camp out at the pond house and, did you give Henry notice for your house? Because maybe Rebecca can stay there and _then_ you can give notice..."

"Whoa, cowgirl..." Nathan laughed. "You just went from a stop to a hard run in about a half a minute." Elizabeth laughed too, and Nathan pushed her tousled hair back from her eyes. "It's all going to be fine. We have rooms in the new house, just no doors. Lee says we'll get the floors done quickly and then we can starting moving in. I have some surprises for you, too, Mrs. Grant."

"What?" she said.

Nathan sighed. "Well, then they wouldn't be surprises, would they?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "So you're telling me not to worry."

"That's correct," Nathan said.

"Okay!" Elizabeth said, sitting up and covering a yawn with the back of her hand. When she did, she looked at her wedding ring and held it up. "Look what I got," she said, grinning.

Nathan held up his hand and wiggled his fingers. "Me too."

She put her hands up to her head and could feel that her hair had come undone. Without thinking, she simply took down all of her combs and ran her fingers through her hair to untangle it.

She felt Nathan's eyes on her. The way he was gazing at her was a new look, a deeper one, and she realized that with her hair down she must look the way she did as they had finished off the last of the cheese, rolls and jam in the early hours of the morning. They'd suddenly realized that they'd each had a finger sandwich and a bite of cake since yesterday's breakfast, and they were starving.

Elizabeth smiled back at him, remembering how they'd sat on the bed, wrapped in the quilts, and had talked about anything and everything while they ate every last morsel.

Nathan raised one eyebrow and smiled. "You're blushing," he said, softly.

Elizabeth matched his eyebrow and said, "Your eyes are very blue."

Nathan moved closer and said, "We won't ever be able to keep secrets from each other. We're too transparent."

"That's a very good thing," Elizabeth said. She looked across the way and everyone was engrossed in their drawings. She kissed him tenderly. "Have I said I love you today?"

Nathan laughed softly. "Since midnight?" He nodded. "A number of times."

Elizabeth said, "No! Not since then. Since... the sun has come up, and it's been morning..." she said, finally laughing. "You're impossible."

"You're incredible," he said very softly. He was just about to kiss her, when suddenly their presence was noticed.

"Mama!"

Elizabeth looked up and quickly pulled her hair back with her combs. "Jack!" She said, laughing, "Mama's awake."

She put her hand on Nathan's face and said softly, "We'll finish this conversation later."

He smiled at her and took her hand. "Yes. We will."

They stood up and went over to the children, who wanted to show Mrs. Grant their drawings.

Except for Opal, who went straight to Nathan. She held up her drawing of a man in red serge, a woman in white, a small boy in striped pants and a girl who looked like a princess. "Mountie Nathan. I want you to have this. Since you were up there, you might not know what you looked like." She smiled at him. "This can remind you."

Nathan smiled and sat down on the bench behind her. "Opal, this is about the nicest drawing I think I've ever seen. And you're right, now we know what we looked like." He held it up and gazed at it and then he gave Opal a hug. "Thank you. This will go on the wall of our new house."

Opal went back to the others, beaming. By now, Jack was in Elizabeth's arms and she was telling the girls how lovely their drawings were.

She looked at Nathan and he held up Opal's drawing for her to see. She walked over and Jack put his arms out for Nathan, who handed the picture to Elizabeth and then put Jack on his knee.

"Opal gave it to me. In case we didn't know what we looked like," he said.

"Oh, Nathan," she said. "She gave this to you?"

He nodded. The girls were laughing and talking now, sharing pictures, after being so quiet while Nathan and Elizabeth had slept.

Anna said to Allie, "Can we have another sleepover at your new house when it's ready?"

"Sure!" Allie said. "We can make cupcakes again!"

With Jack on his knee and listening to the delight of the girls, Nathan took a deep breath.

"A hockey team might be just right," he said softly to Elizabeth. He raised his eyebrows. "Only four more..."

"Four!" Elizabeth said, laughing. "How about we take it one at a time?"

Jack suddenly called out "_Doo-ee!"_ as Julie came down the aisle.

"There's my favorite little nephew!" Julie said happily, scooping him up in her arms. She positioned him comfortably on her hip as Elizabeth watched.

"You're different, Julie," Elizabeth said softly as they stood in the aisle together. "It's like it happened over a weekend. I had a little trouble at first imagining you in Hope Valley, but now I can completely see it."

Julie leaned closer and raised her eyebrows at her sister. "It didn't happen over a weekend. It's been happening for months. Probably years. If you ask Mother or Viola, they'll tell you I've been moving away for a long time." Julie looked at Jack and kissed his cheek. "I'm so happy to be coming with you all, Elizabeth. I would be _very_ sad alone on that train back to Hamilton."

Elizabeth hugged her, and Jack was caught in the middle. He didn't seem to mind.

Nathan was now leaned over the bench and the girls were vying for his attention, giving him their colored pencils and asking him to draw a horse. He was laughing and making faces and thoroughly entertaining them.

Julie looked at Elizabeth. "I absolutely adore your husband, sister."

Elizabeth smiled, speaking softly. "It wasn't very long ago that Nathan felt completely out of his element with Allie and her friends." She looked back at Julie, remembering. "Before Nathan and I had even acknowledged our feelings for each other, Allie had a sleepover and I volunteered to bring cupcakes over to his house so they could decorate them."

Julie raised her eyebrow. "That was rather forward of you," she said with some admiration in her voice.

Elizabeth frowned. "No, I was just being a good teacher, Julie."

Julie nodded, unconvinced. "Uh-huh."

Elizabeth blushed softly, "Oh, you would have been very proud of me. I actually flirted with him," she said, smiling at the memory.

Julie tilted her head. "And what does flirting look like at a sleepover with cupcakes?"

"I have no idea what got into me. I put frosting on his nose."

Julie smiled and shook her head in mock-consternation. "Hussy."

Elizabeth laughed. "No, Julie, it was actually a pretty bold move." She looked at Nathan, now drawing with the girls. She said softly, her eyes going tender, "It was the first time I'd touched him."

Julie took one look at her sister's glazed eyes and nodded. "Oh, we really need to talk."

Elizabeth sighed, still looking at Nathan. "About what?"

Julie just shook her head, laughing. She looked at Jack and opened her eyes wide. "About _what,_ she says!" Jack reached out and put his fingers on her necklace. "You like that, Jack?" Julie said, holding it up for him and making it sparkle in the sunlight.

Julie looked around her. It wasn't quite like Elizabeth taking a stagecoach out west and being robbed and then riding into town in the back of a wagon.

But it was still quite an adventure. And Julie couldn't wait to see how it turned out.


	49. Chapter 49

From the train window the banner seemed to be floating in mid-air, but soon it was clear that it was being held up on one side by Molly Sullivan, on the other by Florence Blakeley and in the middle by Robert Wolf, who was now nearly taller than either of them. Most of the other students and their parents stood waving nearby as the train pulled into the station.

Elizabeth clapped her hands from the window and waved back, with Nathan behind her.

"WELCOME HOME MR. AND MRS. GRANT" had been painted on a long piece of muslin, and Elizabeth had a feeling that it might have been the school arts and crafts project that Florence and Molly had talked about for Friday.

Elizabeth laughed, enjoying the many handprints, and some perhaps accidental shoeprints, that graced the banner. The lettering was painted in all different styles and colors, and there were various animals and objects painted on the outside edges. One purple paint spill had simply been turned into a dog with legs, a tail and a head. In the back of her mind, Elizabeth was hoping this had been painted on the grass outside and not on the schoolroom floor, but right now she was simply full of gratitude for Florence and Molly.

They gathered up their things, and Elizabeth and Nathan, Allie and Jack, Julie, Rebecca and Charlie were almost the last to get off the train. By the time they did, it felt as if the entire town was waiting with handfuls of rice, provided by Gustav from a large canvas bag, to shower the newlyweds with love, good fortune and prosperity by the time-honored ancient tradition.

Nathan wanted to go immediately to their new house, but Bill told him he first had to formally relieve Constable Patrick O'Reilly and thank him for covering for him. That required good wishes and hand shaking at the Mountie office. And just getting there was a challenge – it seemed everyone in Hope Valley wanted to congratulate him on the way.

Elizabeth took Rebecca up to Nathan's house to drop off her bags, and Kevin had already arranged a bunk for Charlie at the livery where Charlie said he would be happiest. Julie put her things in Elizabeth's house.

Then they all started out to the pond. But first, Julie needed to send a wire to her parents explaining what she was doing and asking them to have her things sent to Hope Valley.

"That should cause quite a stir," Julie said to Elizabeth after locating Ned and dictating the telegram. "I'm not sorry I'm so far away right now."

Finally, after what seemed like a very long time, they all started out toward the house.

Nathan was pointing out the lot lines to Charlie when he noticed that something was different. He was still far away, but he was pretty sure that the porch was no longer raw wood. It looked like it had been painted in the light tan they'd chosen to blend in with the soil out there. And the outside of the house was painted too. In just the colors they'd chosen. Even the forest green trim.

"Hey, wait up!" Lee called out from behind them.

Nathan turned and said, "Lee, is the porch done? And the outside paint? I know your guys only had Friday to work. I thought we were leaving that for last."

Lee smiled and nodded. "Yep. We were. Not sure what happened there."

Nathan frowned and said, "I was hoping we could use them inside the house first so we can stay out here maybe end of this week?"

Lee just kept nodding. "That's what we decided. You're right. Not sure about that now."

Nathan looked over at Elizabeth, who was also gazing at Lee. Nathan said, concerned, "I don't see any of the materials out front, Lee."

Squinting out to the house which was coming ever nearer as they walked, Lee said, "Nope. I don't see anything either. That's a problem."

Confused, Nathan said, "So, did everything get here on Friday? All the interior paint, the doors, the floor stain, the... " he lowered his voice a little, "... special things I ordered?"

Lee raised his eyebrows as if he was thinking. "I don't know. I wasn't here."

Nathan was frankly getting a little impatient with Lee's attitude. Nathan had paid for all the supplies and for two men to work on Friday and then again starting tomorrow. Now that Rebecca and Julie were here, he and Elizabeth had essentially lost both of their houses.

Nathan turned to Lee, disappointed. He spoke softly so no one else could hear. "Sorry. I just thought we'd be further along. The outside looks great, Lee. Just what we discussed. So thanks for that."

They were only a little way from the front steps now. Lee was silent.

_Nothing to do but make the best of it,_ Nathan thought. Lee must have misunderstood that the interior had to come first. He reached down and touched the porch to be sure the paint was dry. Then he took Elizabeth's hand and led her up the steps.

There was a beautiful woven welcome mat at the front door and both Elizabeth and Nathan looked down, then at each other. "Did you?" Elizabeth asked. "No," Nathan said. "And you didn't?" Elizabeth shook her head. They looked at Lee, who shrugged and looked around for Rosemary.

Nathan laughed and turned back to Elizabeth. He was remembering Clara's advice saying that things would definitely go wrong. He would take the rest of her advice and look for the silver lining; and the most precious gift of all was standing in front of him.

Nathan raised his eyebrows and said, "Are you ready?"

Elizabeth said, "For what?"

And with that, Nathan scooped her up into his arms and she let out a little yelp, laughing. Nathan said, "Number two of one hundred," and kissed her. Then he opened the front door and crossed the threshold with his bride.

They stood there for a long time in wonder. All the floors were stained and varnished. All the interior walls were painted in the colors they'd chosen, and all the doors were in.

Nathan had ordered a harvest table just like the one in Rebecca's house as a surprise for Elizabeth. It was supposed to be coming from the furniture shop, along with six rustic wood chairs – but not until next week.

Yet there they were, table and chairs. Just exactly what he wanted.

There were flowers everywhere, and when they looked into the kitchen, they could see that a combination of their dishes, pots, pans, and muffin tins were all in place. The kitchen looked ready to be cooked in tonight.

"Oh, Nathan!" Elizabeth said, putting her hands over her mouth. "How did you...?"

Nathan was as dumbstruck as she was. "I didn't..." he said. He set her down carefully and they both turned to Lee, who stood behind them.

He was grinning. "I... might of put the boys on a little overtime..." he said.

Rosemary was standing next to him smiling from ear to ear. "We wanted to surprise you. This is your wedding present from all of us."

In one swift move, Elizabeth hugged Lee and Nathan folded Rosemary into a bear hug. They were both full of joy and thanks.

Rosemary giggled and straightened her hair. "Well, you're so very welcome, you two!" She started to walk around. "This is everything _you_ ordered, all the colors _you_ wanted, we didn't make any decisions for you."

"It's just how I imagined it," Nathan said. The house didn't have the personal touches, like pictures on the walls, that they would add - but it was completely ready to move into.

There was only one piece of furniture in the living room. Nathan looked closer, and then turned to his mother. "Mom," he said softly, smiling and shaking his head.

There in the corner to the side of the large stone fireplace was the loveseat that Elizabeth and Nathan had sat in just two nights ago. Rebecca smiled and said, "I thought you two might want to use that again," she said, coming forward to hug them both.

Elizabeth's eyes were wide. "How on earth did you get that from Airdrie to here without us seeing?"

Julie stepped forward and said, "Well, I _did_ have to send that wire to Mother and Father..." She winked at Lee, and said, "How'd I do?"

"Perfect timing, Julie. Thank you." Lee said.

"And did you notice, Nathan," Rosemary said, winking, "That it took you a _little_ more time to get to your office than it usually does? And that Patrick O'Reilly was _very_ enthusiastic about your recent marriage?"

Nathan laughed. "It took forever. Every time I'd finish shaking someone's hand there was someone else right behind them."

Nathan was now leading Elizabeth down the long hallway. As he looked in each bedroom, they were finished and only in need of furniture. Later they could bring Nathan and Allie's beds from his house and Jack's crib from Elizabeth's and they could all stay out here together tonight. Nathan thought, _That is, if... but if the harvest table was finished, maybe..._

Nathan opened the door to the master bedroom, and there it was. The large bed that he had ordered – long enough so that his feet wouldn't hang over the edge as they did in most beds, and big enough for children to jump into on Saturday mornings. It had a Mission-style head and footboard with the simple vertical design of multiple posts of oak. The wedding ring quilt from their night in the Summer Cabin was on the bed.

The large windows on either side of the bed looked out on one side to the vegetable garden and on the other to where the paddocks and small barn would be. And beyond that, to the endless stands of trees.

Rosemary came up behind them saying, "Lee had to keep me from choosing curtains. He said you would want to do that yourself." She put her arm around Elizabeth and waved her hand from top to bottom of one of the windows. "But don't you think that a white eyelet lace in the summers and then perhaps a bright gold for the winter..."

"Rosie..." Lee said in warning.

"Oh, well, of course you'll do just the right thing, Elizabeth. But perhaps I could help? This was such fun, planning all this out!" Rosemary said.

Elizabeth had tears in her eyes and she hugged her friend tightly. "It's perfect. Everything is perfect." She looked across the room at Nathan and said again, "Just perfect."

Nathan turned and shook Lee's hand vigorously. "I don't know what to say, Lee. I have no idea how you did all this in three days, but I'm so grateful."

Lee clapped him on the back. "You know what they say, _Many hands make light work._ Everyone wanted to help. If they couldn't be there for your wedding, they wanted to do their part to welcome you back to Hope Valley."

It seemed that a few people had walked out to the house to join in the surprise. Elizabeth was now hugging Molly and Florence in the hallway and hearing that yes, the banner was made on the grass. Lucas had joined Julie and they were looking at the view from the side windows in the living room, where the town was visible in the distance. Nathan and Rebecca were in the kitchen, as she heartily approved of the stove and oven he and Elizabeth had chosen.

The two of them looked out at the rest of the house from the kitchen. Rebecca put her arm around Nathan's waist and said, "This should be the best view in a house, Nathan, and you've made it a fine one. You can see the front door as people walk in, you can see out back to watch the children, over to the fireplace when you have company, and through the front windows you can even see the porch swing." She hugged him tightly and nodded, smiling. "It's a very good house, son."

"Come look, Mom," Nathan said, putting his arm around her shoulders. He walked her to the living room and the window on the other side of the freestanding stone fireplace. He pointed to a spot just past the vegetable garden.

"That's where the guest house will go, Mom. It'll be yours whenever you want it. We're planning to build it in the spring."

Rebecca was a stoic person, not one to cry often, and Nathan was surprised to see a tear move slowly down her cheek. "Mom?" he said softly.

"That you would think of me now in a time of such happiness for you. And this town that has just folded you into its loving arms." She looked up at him in pure joy. "It's a mother's wish, sweetheart." She turned to him. "And what else this tells me is what good people you and Elizabeth are here in this community. They give to you because you give to them."

Allie ran up and took her grandmother's hand. "Grandma, can you help me choose my bedroom? I thought Jack's crib should be in the one closest to the end of the hall, and maybe mine should be across?" she said excitedly.

Rebecca laughed and quickly wiped the last of her tears away. "You show me, Alliebeck, and we'll choose it together."

Jack had found Elizabeth and was now happily up in her arms. Elizabeth walked silently up to Nathan and bent down to point at the sky through the front windows. Without a word, he took her hand and led her out to the front porch. There were more people now, wandering through the house and seeing how their small part of helping had combined to make the whole.

Nathan and Elizabeth smiled and thanked people, hugged a few here and there, but their destination was clear and they kept moving toward it.

They walked through the big front door and miraculously found the porch swing empty. Just as they were about to sit down, Allie came out and said, "Jack, you need to help us decide!" Elizabeth put him down and he immediately raised his hand for Allie to take. She walked him back through the front door, and the new Mr. and Mrs. Grant were alone.

Nathan and Elizabeth sat on the swing. The sun wasn't down yet, but it was coloring the pond and the sky in mirror reflections of each other. They snuggled close, listening to the laughter and conversation behind them.

Elizabeth suddenly shook her head, smiling. "Nathan, it's like we never left Airdrie!"

Nathan sighed and leaned his head back, holding Elizabeth closer. "Best of both worlds."

They sat in silence for a moment and then Nathan smiled. He looked at her and said, "There's just one thing missing."

Elizabeth frowned and said, "What could possibly be missing?"

Grinning, Nathan said, "We need a rooster."

Narrowing her eyes, Elizabeth said, "Don't you dare!"

She had more to say about the subject, but Nathan leaned down and kissed her. As she melted into her happiness, she thought a rooster might actually be a fine idea.


	50. Chapter 50

Nathan opened the door of the Queen of Hearts for Elizabeth to walk through. He was holding Jack, and Allie was right behind them.

All four were dressed as they had been for their wedding. They were so grateful to all those who had stayed behind for all they did in their absence, that they wanted to give them the full experience of a real wedding reception.

Of course, Clara and Rosemary were thrilled when Elizabeth had made the suggestion, because they were so pleased with the results of their sewing. But no one was more thrilled than Jack. If Elizabeth would let him, he would _sleep_ in his Mountie pants.

Elizabeth wasn't sure what to expect when they first walked in, but she thought there might be some reaction. As they entered the large room, however, they realized that no one had their eyes on the door. The party guests were all looking at the long wall on the right, just under the long banner that had greeted them at the railway station.

The new Grant family wandered over quietly, puzzled. Elizabeth came up behind Faith and said, "What's going on?" But as she asked, Elizabeth looked up on the wall and saw what had everyone so interested.

_Wedding photos. Photos of Airdrie and the ranch. Pictures of friends and family._ Elizabeth gasped and moved closer. In the center of a group of smaller photos was a large one.

Fiona was standing next to it, and Elizabeth came up behind her. "Did you take this, Fiona?"

Beaming, Fiona said, "Elizabeth! Hi! Yes. It's actually one of my first color photographs. I'm so glad it turned out well. It was such a fantastic moment, and you never know if it will translate to film."

Elizabeth hugged her tightly. "You can't know what this will mean to Nathan," she said, looking at the photograph again, "And to me."

Nathan came up behind Elizabeth and whispered, "Jack is with Mom. I had to... Oh." Nathan looked up and then he slowly put his arms around Elizabeth. Both of them were transfixed.

The photo had been taken the second that Elizabeth had kissed Nathan under the blueberry elders. The moment that Nathan had said he'd known Sarah was there with them. Seconds later they would step through the trees and go to the Summer Cabin, but in this instant, the camera had captured something so beautiful that no one could take their eyes off of it.

They were at a slight distance from the camera. Elizabeth was up on her toes and her arms were joyfully around Nathan's neck as he leaned down with his arms around her waist.

The graceful kiss was lovely enough on its own, but Elizabeth's long brown hair was curling behind her into the wind, as was the cream chiffon skirt of her wedding dress. In the background was the green of the summer hemlocks and the profusion of color from the wildflowers in a semi-circle beyond their feet. The sky was just turning pink.

The branches of the elder above them, heavily laden with blossoms, had blown almost into a canopy over their heads, and it did indeed look as if they were in a small snowstorm blowing sideways. Nathan's dark hair, his bright red serge, and Elizabeth's chestnut curls were all speckled with the blossoms and some even seemed to be swirling in spirals in the air.

Nathan smiled and whispered to Elizabeth, "Sarah always was a show-off." He sighed softly. "It looks like it's painted, doesn't it?" Elizabeth nodded. He kissed her gently on the neck. "And your hair and your dress... Are those angel's wings?"

Elizabeth laughed, delighted. "We'll have that picture forever, Nathan. To remind us of that perfect moment," she said.

"Who took it?" Nathan asked.

"I did," Fiona said. "Carson took one at the same time, in black and white. It's down there," she said, pointing down the wall.

Nathan put his hand on Fiona's shoulder. "It's incredible, Fiona. Can we get one to frame for the house?"

She waved her hand toward the wall. "These are all yours. To keep, to give away, whatever you want to do with them," Fiona said. She leaned in to both Elizabeth and Nathan, "But before you go giving too many to Rebecca, Carson and I made a book of the best ones to take back home with her. It's got the wedding, but also Airdrie and the ranch."

Elizabeth said, "Fiona, how can we thank you for all this?"

Fiona shrugged, "No thanks necessary. When you have the photography bug the way I do, you're always looking for things to take pictures of. You gave me the most beautiful day, and that enchanted place, and the ranch, and your happiness... I should be thanking you!"

There were other photos that Elizabeth knew would be on their walls for as long as they lived. The four of them standing together, with Jack laughing because Rosemary stood behind Carson making faces as he took the picture. There was one of Nathan and Elizabeth that neither of them knew was being taken, just gazing into each other's eyes. One looking up into the clematis and honeysuckle, and one of the circle of chairs around the pergola. Many photos of the people there, smiling in groups and pairs. In the wagons, on the porch swing, riding horses. Rosemary and Lee laughing, so evocative that you could almost hear them. One of Rebecca and Charlie with Nathan in between, his arms around both.

A big crowd-pleaser was the best of Fiona's photos of Jack and Nathan in the wagon on the way to the ceremony. She had captured Nathan with Jack on his lap. Nathan was pointing to one of the horses and he was talking to Jack about it, close up against his ear. Jack's eyes were serious and focused in the distance, looking exactly where Nathan was pointing. The stripes on their pants were perfectly lined up, and Nathan's hand was protectively around Jack's middle. Elizabeth couldn't stop looking at it.

They walked down the line with the other guests looking at each photo in turn, remembering. While they did, they greeted those that had come to celebrate with them, one by one. Those who had been in Airdrie told stories to those who weren't there, using the photos as illustrations.

The food, a collaboration between Bill, Lucas and Gustav, was delicious. Bill followed Rebecca around half of the food table as she put samples on her plate and took bites. She would taste something and he would lean in front of her and raise his eyebrows. Rebecca would nod, or say "Not bad," or "Needs salt." Finally she stopped teasing him and just threaded her arm through his. "Good thing somebody in this town knows how to cook. I thought I might have to stay," she said, winking at him.

Lucas broke out champagne for those who wanted it and apple cider and lemonade for those who didn't. Gustav had outdone himself with the cake; a delectable white fondant masterpiece with fresh strawberries on top that was large enough to feed everyone.

Rosemary had set out a fishbowl with pencils and paper and asked people to write a wish, a memory, or a story that they wanted to share with Nathan, Elizabeth, Allie or Jack. By the end of the evening, the bowl was nearly full, as even the children had joined in the fun.

There were toasts, some serious, some funny. People told their versions of Nathan and Elizabeth's courtship and for those who hadn't been in town while it unfolded, the stories were a revelation.

Julie and Rebecca had drifted together for precisely that reason. Each had long memories of one-half of this new relationship, but very little of the other. Bill's recounting of Elizabeth and Nathan literally saving each other's lives was a little harrowing to listen to, but there were also the sweet stories from Clara and Molly of watching the creation of a family as the four of them had tentatively walked through town in the early days.

Sighing, Julie whispered to Rebecca, "You're as proud of your son as I am of my sister. I can see it."

Rebecca reached over and took Julie's hand in hers. "You don't have children yet, Julie, but when you do you'll know what a powerful day this has been for me. We all want to be loved, it's natural. But what we want for our children... it's more than what we want for ourselves."

Julie squeezed Rebecca's hand gently. "With everything going on, I never had the chance... I just want to say that I'm so sorry about Sarah, Rebecca." She saw a shadow quickly come and go across the older woman's face, and then Rebecca sighed.

"Thank you, Julie." She smiled at her. "And it's hard to explain, but I think I felt worse for Nathan than I did for myself when she died. Losing the other half of himself. I wasn't certain he'd ever find his smile again, but he found it in Elizabeth. I'm so grateful."

Julie nodded. "It was the same for Elizabeth when Jack died. Much as we may want to, we can't go through that grief process for those we love. At first it was pure grief, but then I got the feeling from Elizabeth's letters that she had to give herself permission to love someone again. Nathan was very patient with her."

Rebecca laughed. "He _is_ patient. Some might say relentless. And he's quiet, but up here..." She tapped her forehead, "...it's always going. I saw it from the time he was a little boy. When Nathan sets his eyes on something, he'll just outlast it." Rebecca laughed. "Not to compare our beautiful Elizabeth to a horse, but I've seen him break some unbreakable ones."

Julie laughed too. "She never had a chance, did she?"

Rebecca nodded. "Not a one."

"Neither did he, you know," Julie said. "Can you imagine the strength it took for Elizabeth to leave our pampered life in Hamilton, get on a stagecoach and travel all the way across the country, _against_ the wishes of our parents, and come to this town? It's become a lot more civilized in the years since."

Laughing, Rebecca said, "Oh, I see them clearly, Julie. Both headstrong and stubborn as rocks. That will be their mountain to climb together, that stubbornness. But their love softens it. They stretch for each other." She looked over and smiled at Julie. "And it seems there is another Thatcher sister who has traveled here to make a new life. A harder one than you left?"

Julie shook her head slowly. "Rebecca, I don't have the faintest idea what I'm doing. I may last a week here, and I may last the rest of my life. I only know that I need to be different."

Smiling, Rebecca said, "Different takes courage, Julie, and you've got that in spades." She winked at her. "I know fine stock when I see it, and you and Elizabeth have the goods."

Laughing, Julie said, "If someone had told me a month ago that I would take that statement as a compliment, I believe I would have been surprised. Now I can't think of anything I'd like to hear more."

The music had started – and the combination of Rosemary and Ned's record collections would keep the guests dancing far into the night. But for now, there was no one on the floor because they were waiting for Nathan and Elizabeth to have the first dance.

Very deliberately, Elizabeth tapped Nathan on the shoulder and smiled when he turned around.

"Would you like to dance?" she said, raising her eyebrows.

Nathan immediately knew exactly what she was doing. They were both transported back to the Founder's Day Dance. That night that he had thought was the end of his future with Elizabeth.

Taking a deep breath, Nathan nodded. "I'd like that very much." He smiled and looked down at his feet. "But I warn you, the number of times I've danced can be counted on one hand, with a few fingers left over."

Elizabeth smiled back at him, taking his hand while he put his other one at her waist. "Well," she said, whispering, "We Hamilton cotillion girls were taught at a very early age to keep our toes safe. And don't worry," she said, looking around and raising an eyebrow, "_No one_ is watching us."

The entire room had stopped what they were doing, even those looking at the photos. They were all turned to the center of the room, gazing at the newlyweds as they smiled and whispered to each other, moving as if their feet were barely touching the floor. So easy together, so very much in love.

One by one, couples joined them on the dance floor. Though Nathan and Elizabeth started out dancing formally, with each turn they moved closer together, until their dance was really just an embrace set to music.

Nathan kissed her cheek and held his lips there, feeling the softness of her skin. "If not having that dance so long ago meant I get to have this one, I'm glad to have given it up. But walking away that night, I swear I couldn't see a future for myself."

Elizabeth held him tighter. "That's because your future was with me, even if it didn't make sense at the time."

Nathan smiled and looked at her. "I wish I'd known then that it would end like this."

Laughing softly, Elizabeth said, "Oh, don't we always. But that's the mystery," she said, touching his face. Her eyes went very soft. "I love you very much, and I feel that whatever comes, I have you beside me."

Nathan stopped moving and took her face in his hands. He kissed her softly, not caring who saw it. "I thank God for you every day, Elizabeth, and I'll never stop."

They held each other again, moving slowly in time with the music. For everyone else in the large room, it was impossible to look at them without smiling.

Elizabeth and Nathan had listened to all the stories told tonight along with everyone else. They'd laughed and Elizabeth had blushed, Nathan had acknowledged his quirkiness with good humor, and he'd held Elizabeth tightly as they remembered - both of them silently filling in the spaces between the stories with the feelings and conversations that no one knew but them.

They'd been through so much together. Some might think this was the happy ending, but they both knew there was so much left to write.

They had to finish their house and the house out back, love and raise Allie and Jack with wisdom and direction, fill the bedrooms with more children, navigate complicated and deep relationships with parents, find the joy in everyday life together, keep Nathan safe in a dangerous job, keep Elizabeth creative in her molding of children, love and support Julie in finding her future, dream with Rosemary about a child of her own, and continue to be a part of the life of the town they both loved so dearly.

Yes, so much more to write.


	51. Chapter 51

"Well, you know I had to have loved Archie Grant _once_, at least," Rebecca said with a wink. She had Jack on her lap and was, as usual, feeding him. Elizabeth thought it was lucky her boy was very active.

Elizabeth smiled and set aside her thank you notes for the wedding gifts she and Nathan had received. She also had so many notes to write simply for kindnesses - Henry buying the train tickets; Lucas, Bill and Gustav for the food; Clara and Rosemary for their wedding clothes. How she would begin to thank Rebecca for everything was beyond her.

On this Saturday morning two weeks after her wedding, Elizabeth was sitting at her very own harvest table in her very own house with Rebecca, and she couldn't be happier.

It was July in Hope Valley and the weather was seasonably warm. Elizabeth had discovered that opening both the back door and the front door would cool the whole house with either the air from the stand of trees behind them or the pond in front of them, depending on the direction of the wind.

They were having a cup of tea before heading out to weed the vegetable garden. Nathan and Charlie were outside, setting up the posts for the barn and the paddocks and beginning to clear the land. Allie had invited Anna and Hattie over and they were out back too, deciding where Allie's treehouse would go. Nathan had promised to use the leftover wood to build her one.

Elizabeth had just brought up a subject that needed to be talked about; Archie Grant. Nathan knew that he was still a little too raw about his father to sit down and talk to Rebecca with any clear perspective, so he asked Elizabeth to broach the subject. There would come a time very soon when Archie would visit Hope Valley again.

"I can't imagine the pain you all went through," Elizabeth said softly. "And I know how hard it is to get past that. It certainly has been for Nathan."

Rebecca shrugged. "It's been a long time. Once you let go of that 'being in love' stage with someone who hurts you, it's a lot easier." Jack was done with his breakfast and wanted to get down. Rebecca put him down and he got right on his wooden horse, rocking happily and walking his Mountie across its yarn mane.

Rebecca freshened her tea and continued. "The hardest part for Nathan was how many times I took Archie back, thinking he'd changed. I should have taken that into account. That was my mistake. Because I got the charming and sorry Archie when I let him back in the house. Nathan just had to watch the hurt come on when Archie left again with my favorite ruby brooch or a necklace he'd bought for me during the flush times. It wasn't fair of me to do that to Nathan."

Nodding, Elizabeth said, "I am sure you did the best you could, Rebecca. It wasn't an easy situation for any of you. Nathan told me once that Archie would call him the 'man of the house' whenever he left, and he took that job seriously. He thought it was his responsibility to take care of you and Sarah."

Rebecca frowned. "Oh, he did." She looked out the window at her son and her eyes glistened. "He grew so fast. At sixteen he was just a long tall drink of water, that boy. But the last time Archie came home, Nathan stood over him and wouldn't let him in the front door. Nearly broke my heart to see that. He'd not only grown tall, but he'd had to grow _up_ too fast."

Elizabeth put her hand over Rebecca's. "He survived, you know. He's a strong, loving, compassionate man now. I watched him turn a corner with his father. He may not have forgotten everything that happened, but he's on the road to forgiving Archie."

Rebecca nodded. "I never wanted to take his father away from him. I just didn't want him to get hurt, but that happened anyway, didn't it?"

"You couldn't prevent that, Rebecca. We can protect our children as mothers, but we can't shield them completely," Elizabeth said softly.

Suddenly, Elizabeth frowned. "We were so busy in Airdrie I don't think we had the chance to tell you. Did you know that Caleb came here?"

Rebecca's eyes grew wide and she gasped softly. "No. Did Allie see him? What did he want?"

"She did see him, but he was pretending to be someone else. By the time we told her he was her father, she knew he wasn't a truthful person... At first he said he wanted Allie, but Nathan knew he only wanted money, so he gave it to him and put him on the train. Caleb signed away his rights to Allie." Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief. "Which is still so baffling to me, how a father could do that."

Rebecca gave a soft snort and her eyes went steely. "Oh, Caleb could. He never wanted children. He wanted Sarah and whiskey and a fine easy life. But not children."

Elizabeth nodded. "Bill Avery had him investigated. Turns out he was running from conscription and was overdue reporting for duty. Bill had him arrested when he got off the train. As far as we know, he's in military prison or more likely on his way to the front in Europe."

Rebecca took a deep breath and nodded. "Well, that's a fair end to him." She stared into her teacup, her eyes hard. "Did Nathan tell you that Sarah died with a black eye? It was why she went to the ranch instead of being near the hospital in Edmonton. She was running from him."

Elizabeth exhaled. "Oh, Rebecca. I'm so sorry." Elizabeth shuddered, remembering Caleb in her schoolroom and on the walk to town. And Nathan's anger at him was ever clearer. Even Elizabeth was wondering how he'd had the strength to holster his gun when he'd seen him here in Hope Valley.

"Water under the bridge, Elizabeth." Rebecca took a deep breath. "A sad time, but it's done."

Elizabeth paused for a moment. "Except that Allie remembers some of it now," she said softly.

Rebecca looked up quickly. "What does she remember?"

"Just vague memories. But they're memories of Caleb hurting her and her mother. She mentioned you in one of them. Do you think you could talk to her about it?" Elizabeth smiled sadly. "Nathan said once that if we can tell our stories, we can get past them, and I believe that with all my heart. Allie might need to do that, but I wasn't there, and Nathan is still just getting over it himself."

Rebecca nodded firmly. "I will talk to her. Thank you for telling me."

"Of course," Elizabeth said, squeezing Rebecca's hand.

Rebecca's eyes softened and she looked again out the window. "Nathan was more Allie's father from the day she was born than Caleb ever was. He was just like he is with Jack. You'd come around the corner and Allie would be sound asleep on his chest, or he'd be playing with her, making faces, making her giggle. If she has any sense of what a father is, she got it from Nathan." Smiling, Rebecca said, "Which is why it's so right that he's her father now. Legally. He has been in his heart since the beginning."

Elizabeth smiled softly, following Rebecca's eyes out to Nathan. "Allie was my way into his heart, too. I think I loved that girl from the first day of school, so spirited and intelligent. She's a survivor, but she was troubled, and Nathan _had_ to talk to me." Elizabeth laughed softly. "He was a tough one. He had so much bottled up inside when he first came to Hope Valley. I knew he felt things deeply, but getting them out of him could be a bit of a chore."

Rebecca nodded. "He stopped talking when Sarah died." She sighed. "Up until then he could talk about anything and usually did, at length. Far too many opinions, and no trouble expressing them," she said, laughing. "But he lost his voice somehow." Rebecca's eyes were very blue as she looked at Elizabeth. "He found it again with you."

"Yes, he did," Elizabeth said, sighing. "And it's such a good voice." She gazed out at her husband. "I love him so dearly, Rebecca."

Rebecca laughed and hugged her tightly. "That is _not_ news to any of us, Elizabeth. And if possible, he loves you even more."

They watched for a moment as Charlie and Nathan stretched a rope from one post to another, laying out the foundation for the barn.

"So," Rebecca said, taking a deep breath. "Nathan put you up to breaking it to me gently that Archie will be visiting? What did he think I would do, make a scene?"

Elizabeth laughed. "No. He just wanted to make sure it wouldn't hurt you if he welcomed him into his house."

Shaking her head, Rebecca said, "Well, that's sweet of him. But honestly, I'm just too old to care anymore." She raised her eyebrows and looked outside again. Her eyes rested on Charlie. "And in case you haven't figured it out..."

Elizabeth smiled. "I have..."

Laughing, Rebecca said, "Of course you have. You see everything, don't you?" She took another sip of her tea. "Does Nathan know?"

"Yes. He asked me about it when we were in Airdrie the first time."

"He's a little late to the party, but good he finally got there," Rebecca said, laughing softly. She looked at Elizabeth, her face open and vulnerable, so much like Nathan at times like these. "And what did he say? My Nathan. About his scandalous mother?"

Elizabeth took her hand. "He's glad for you both. And it makes him feel better about you being there... not alone."

Rebecca sighed, clearly relieved. "Charlie is a good man. He loves me and he doesn't want more than I can give. A solitary old age is a pitiful thing, Elizabeth."

"I'm glad you have each other, Rebecca," Elizabeth said softly. "I like Charlie very much. He's what I would call an old soul; I look in his eyes and there's so much there. I would love to write down some of his stories, if he'd be willing."

Laughing, Rebecca said, "Oh, he's willing to talk forever if you want. And yes, he has stories." She stood to take her breakfast plate and Elizabeth's to the kitchen.

"And have you two ever thought of getting married?" Elizabeth asked tentatively.

Rebecca smiled. "He's asked me enough times. I'm not opposed to the idea, but truth is, legally I'm still married to Archie. Never could bring myself to divorce him while he was in prison. Felt like kicking him when he was down somehow."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows slyly. "He's out of prison now."

Laughing again, Rebecca said, "Oh, you newly-marrieds. Ready to marry off the rest of the world too." She gazed at Elizabeth, thinking. "But it would be nice to just have it out in the open, and for Charlie not to have to make that trek from the livery every day and night."

Elizabeth just smiled sweetly at her. _The seed is planted._

Rebecca wrapped up the leftover pancakes. "So when is Archie coming? We can only stay for a week more. I have to get back to the ranch and Charlie has some mysterious work to do out at the far barn." She winked at Elizabeth. "Honestly, do those men believe I think the money comes from thin air? I know what they do out there, I just don't want to see it."

Elizabeth laughed. "We haven't invited Archie yet because we wanted to talk to you first. Nathan is so proud of this house and his life here. And Archie made an impression on the town."

Rebecca nodded. "I'm not surprised. Archie Grant can be a charmer." She started tidying up the kitchen. "And there will be Allie's graduation, birthdays, holidays... Now that he's back in good graces, I don't want us dancing around who gets to come and who stays home. Charlie's still mad at Archie, but he'll hold his tongue for me."

"Knock-knock!" Rosemary's voice came through the open front door. Elizabeth could see Julie behind her.

"Good morning!" Elizabeth said, brightly. "Have you eaten? We have pancakes, thanks to my dear mother-in-law."

Rosemary waved her hand quickly, "Oh, no, no, Lee and I had our breakfast already."

Julie said, "Thanks, but I stopped off at the saloon to have a cup of coffee and one of last night's biscuits. Gustav truly rivals our cooks in Hamilton. Lucas was lucky to find him."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "You're spending a lot of time at the saloon, Julie," she said, smiling.

Grimacing, Julie said, "We're just _friends,_ sister. Just because _you're_ hopelessly in love doesn't mean the rest of us have to be." She went directly into the kitchen and got the tea down and began to make herself a cup. "Lucas and I have a lot in common. We both love the exact same café in the Montparnasse in Paris. We think we may have actually been there at the same time and didn't know it! Isn't that just _wild?"_

Rosemary had already pulled a chair around and was sitting with Jack, who was playing on his wooden rocking horse. "You still like your Christmas present, don't you? We knew you would!"

Julie looked out the kitchen window. "What are they doing out there?"

"They're getting ready to build the barn. As soon as that's finished we can bring Bear, Sarah and Sergeant out here and free up some stalls at the livery."

Rebecca shook her head. "Still can't believe that horse's name was Sarah before Allie got her."

Elizabeth and Rosemary had joined Rebecca and Julie in the kitchen. Elizabeth smiled, trying to imagine this four-way conversation going on while everyone got cups, saucers, and hot water in her tiny kitchen in the row house.

Elizabeth said, "Does that bother you at all? That Allie's horse is named Sarah?"

"Oh, no, not at all. It's a good name," she said, giving Elizabeth a quick hug. "It only makes me wonder sometimes. If there's a master plan and we're all just spinning around inside it, thinking we have some sort of control over how it all comes out."

All four women stopped where they were and thought about that for a moment. Each had her own story and each was at a different place in the timeline. Julie just starting out, Elizabeth newly married, Rosemary with her soulmate but longing for more, and Rebecca moving into a twilight of sorts.

Rebecca nodded, looking at each one in turn. "And here's the best piece of wisdom I can give you girls. It came from my grandmother, who knew a thing or two about life. _Work as if there is no prayer and pray as if there is no work._ I always took it to mean that we need to live our lives as if help might not be coming from above, at the same time you have to believe with all your heart that it is."

Moved, Elizabeth, Rosemary and Julie all hugged Rebecca at the same time.

"Oh, dear me, you people in this town certainly do _touch_ each other a lot! All this hugging," Rebecca said, struggling, but enjoying every moment.

Julie just came out and said what everyone was thinking. "I wish you lived in Hope Valley."

Rebecca reached her hand up and touched Julie's face affectionately. "That's very sweet, but for now that farm has my heart and soul. It may not always be that way, so keep the door open."

She moved around to sit again at the harvest table in a spot with a view of Nathan and Charlie. "But I'm over my dislike of that smelly, noisy old train. Because it brought me here." Her blue eyes went soft. "And I do love being here."

She looked at all of them, and then lingered on Nathan outside. He was just now being led by the hand, laughing, to Allie's favorite location for her treehouse.

Rebecca smiled. "I think I'll be back before you know it."


	52. Chapter 52

Elizabeth loved teaching, but she had to admit that, along with her students, she missed the half-days of summer. Full days had started again with September, but the weather had stayed so nice that the children were a little restless toward the end of the school day.

Early afternoons were hard enough with fidgety bodies and full stomachs after lunch; when you add warm sunshine, birdsong, the buzzing of bees and the fish just waiting to be caught at the fishing hole, it was too much to ask of the children to sit calmly at their desks.

Elizabeth empathized with their impatience. She had a new house, a new marriage and the daily joys and challenges of living with two children. Not to mention trying to find time to write. Her plate was very full. And the ongoing changes to the house and the land meant that there were generally hungry workmen on the property looking for a sandwich or a cup of coffee. She and Nathan were so grateful for all the help they were receiving that they were very glad to offer food and hospitality in exchange.

When Nathan wasn't required to do paperwork or take calls, he was at the house. Elizabeth would often see him out by the paddocks or working on fencing, talking to someone from town about Mountie business. Everyone understood the pressures of finishing a house and clearing land before the winter set in, and it was certainly a more beautiful place than Nathan's office to discuss a bicycle gone missing or a noisy neighbor.

In fact, the town was growing so fast that Nathan worked more and more on civil matters in town rather than being called away by Headquarters. It was evolving that he was more valuable in Hope Valley than he was out on the road. Except for some trips to Brookfield to assist Constable Gabriel Kinslow in his work there, Nathan had been home since the wedding.

Their lives had changed drastically in the last week of August when the Town Council voted to have phones put into the homes of Judge Bill Avery and Constable Nathan Grant. The switchboard had been upgraded for the celebration of Founder's Day in June, and the solution had been presented by Fiona, Florence, and Ned – as they were the ones who had to run out to Bill or Nathan's house when a call came in after hours, sometimes urgently.

So a phone was placed on the small table in the living room of their new house. The jangling of the phone had made the whole family jump every time it rang for the first two weeks, but they were gradually getting used to it. After a week they'd asked Fiona to come out and move it to the sunroom, as far away from daily family life as possible. It could still be heard, but at least they didn't leap out of their skins every time it rang.

The newest Hope Valley resident, Julie, had settled quickly into Elizabeth's former row house. Julie had been folded easily into the life of the town, and every week that went by with her sister still happy and feeling at home, Elizabeth began to hope that she might stay.

Julie still had no firm direction, but for the first time in her life she had the ability to simply wait for it to come to her. In Hamilton her daily routine had been determined by her mother and the social schedule. In Hope Valley she had the luxury of waking up and deciding for herself what she would do.

Her day usually started with a walk down to the saloon for breakfast with Lucas and Gustav. She loved listening to them planning the menus of the day and she often had much to offer by way of suggestions.

Julie realized that her whole life had been about having the best of everything, and her memories of creative food preparation, elegant place settings, the ambiance of fine dining and an understanding of what is necessary for a successful social event added to the discussions. So, the qualities Julie had recently thought of as trivial and shallow became a type of expertise. She was even corresponding with the cook, Elise, at her parent's house in Hamilton. Elise would send recipes and descriptions of the most current trends and Julie would share them with Gustav and Lucas.

Lucas was at times frustrated with the line he had to walk between those in town who wanted the saloon to stay exactly the same, and the direction his own cosmopolitan tastes wanted him to take. Julie had become a barometer of sorts for him, finding out what sorts of changes the town would put up with, at the same time she completely understood and supported his point of view.

As the summer wore on, Julie had finally convinced her parents and Viola that this small town was indeed what she wanted. They could hear in her letters and phone calls that Julie was happy and coming to a better understanding of herself, so they had begrudgingly sent on all her things and given up another Thatcher daughter to Hope Valley.

On this sunny day in late September, Julie decided to go up to the schoolhouse to meet Allie and Elizabeth for the walk back to the house. Nathan would sometimes walk with them, but today Julie had seen that he was stuck on the phone when she'd gone by his office. Laura was with Jack at the house, while some of Lee's men were doing the final painting on the barn.

"Enjoy the sunshine, children," Elizabeth said from just inside the schoolhouse door, and the familiar ring of the cowbell reminded Julie to step back on the landing so she wouldn't be run over.

As each child ran down the stairs, they turned and said cheerily, "Hello, Miss Thatcher," and Elizabeth stood at the landing with an inscrutable look on her face.

"What?" Julie said, as the stragglers came through the double doors.

Elizabeth laughed. "Do you know how many times I heard 'Hello, Miss Thatcher' for my first five years in Hope Valley?"

Julie nodded, "Thousands, I'm sure. How are they all doing with 'Mrs. Grant'?" Julie asked.

"Adjusted very well," Elizabeth said. "Children adapt to changes like that very quickly."

Allie came flying out of the door with Emily behind her. "Mrs. Grant..." she started and then, jumping down the steps and looking around, whispering, "Mom," which was always a word that came out shyly but happily, "Can Emily and I go fishing?"

"Yes, Allie," Elizabeth said. "Be back by five o'clock to start your homework, okay?"

"Will do!" She ran a few steps after Emily and then turned around with her fingers crossed. "Fish for dinner!"

Elizabeth laughed and held up her crossed fingers. "Have fun!"

When Elizabeth turned back to her, Julie was smiling. "There's _nothing_ that says a child has to love her new mother, or even _like_ her. Allie truly loves you, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth smiled too, looking out to the field at Allie. "And I love h..." The red serge caught her eye in her peripheral vision and Elizabeth turned.

Nathan very seldom ran these days. His leg was completely healed, but he did still get slight twinges, which Carson said he might have for the rest of his life. Right now he was loping along quickly on his long legs to catch up with Elizabeth and Julie.

"What is it, Nathan?" Elizabeth said.

He stopped and joined them on the path toward the house as he caught his breath. "You remember I couldn't get hold of Archie last week for our regular call? I just assumed he'd been called to work or something. But he wasn't there again today, so I called the friend who got him the job at the accounting firm. They haven't seen him for almost two weeks."

"Nathan!" Elizabeth said, worried. "Did you call the Mountie office in Spruce Grove?"

"Yes, and they sent a man out to his last known address, but he hasn't been living there for six days. When his rent wasn't paid they packed up his things and put them in storage. Spruce Grove doesn't have an extra man right now to go through Dad's things because they have an Agricultural Society Fair going on. They said maybe in a week."

Elizabeth stopped. "Nathan, you have to go up there. He could be confused, or hurt, or maybe he was found by some of his old... acquaintances..."

Nathan smoothed her hair. "I know. I'll take the early train up to Edmonton tomorrow and then borrow a horse from the Western Edmonton Mountie office. I'll ride out to Spruce Grove and work with the Constable there. I just talked with Bill and he'll cover. If he gets in a bind, he'll call Gabriel." He frowned. "I hate to leave you managing the work on the house, Elizabeth. You have so much to do already."

"I'll help!" chirped Julie, feeling slightly forgotten as usual when Nathan and Elizabeth were anywhere near each other.

Elizabeth smiled bravely, and threaded her arm through Julie's. "Thank you, Julie. See? We'll be fine, Nathan. Just give me a list," she said. "I'm very good with lists."

Smiling gratefully, Nathan said, "I know you are. I wish I had a choice. You remember, if I hadn't gone to Benson Hills to help with that investigation into the stolen necklace, Dad would be back in prison now." He smiled, looking at Julie. "As I learned from my wife, sometimes the most obvious answer isn't the right one."

They began walking toward the house again. Nathan said, "I don't know how long I'll be gone."

Elizabeth raised her chin and smiled softly. "You'll be gone as long as it takes to find him and bring him back here."

Nathan frowned. "We didn't talk about bringing him back."

"Well, I'm talking about it now. How old is Archie, Nathan?"

"He's..." Nathan thought for a moment, doing the math. "...sixty-three next month."

"How much longer can he live in a boarding house in Spruce Grove, working every day, and walking to and from in those northern winters?" Elizabeth said, pursing her lips.

Nathan turned to her. "Where would he live?"

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed a little. Nathan had learned to recognize this sign because it meant she wasn't going to be easily backed down. "Well, to start, with us," Elizabeth said firmly.

Nathan thought this discussion might be more productive once he'd been successful in finding Archie, rather than on a theoretical level where it stood right now. So he simply nodded.

Elizabeth tilted her head. "That's it? No opposing opinion?" She smiled. "Oh, Nathan, that's wonderful."

They started walking again, and Elizabeth was talking to Julie. "It was so difficult, when Archie left. Watching him get on his horse, knowing he was riding all the way up to Edmonton? I know he's used to sleeping rough, and of course he was fine, but he's not young, and I was worried for him. I was hoping he might stay here."

Julie smiled. "That's good, I'll get to meet this charming Archie Grant that everyone has told me about."

Nathan lifted an eyebrow, but he was smiling. "You know, Julie, charming isn't always what it looks like on the surface. Being _charming_ ended up getting my father in a lot of trouble."

Julie laughed. "Well, I'm sort of an expert on charm, having done my time in finishing school. I think I could hold my own with Archie Grant."

Elizabeth looked up at Nathan, putting her hand at the nape of his neck affectionately. "This should be entertaining," she said.

Nathan said, "First I have to find him and make sure he's okay. Then we'll talk about where he wants to be." He leaned around and looked at Julie, smiling. "After all that, we'll have the charm competition."

They were at the house now. Nathan opened the front door for Julie and Elizabeth and said, "Allie's fishing?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, and I'm sure that's what we'll have for dinner. That girl never comes home empty-handed." Elizabeth picked Jack up when he ran to her. "Hello, perfect boy!"

"Thank you, Laura," Nathan said, handing her pay to her. "I'll be out of town for a little while, maybe a week. Can you give Mrs. Grant a little more time if she needs you while I'm gone?"

"Of course," Laura said. She kissed Jack on the cheek and started toward the door.

Elizabeth headed into the kitchen. "Julie, you want to stay for dinner?"

"No, thank you. I just came to say hi. Gustav is trying out a new recipe for lamb shanks in claret sauce tonight, and he and Lucas want me to taste it." She laughed brightly, "Oh, poor _me!"_ She hugged Nathan and Elizabeth and gave Jack a kiss. "See you later!" Moving swiftly out the door, Julie said, "So, Laura, tell me about this correspondence course you're taking..." And the door closed behind them.

Nathan and Elizabeth smiled at each other in the sudden quiet. "And to think I was a little worried that she wouldn't fit in here," Elizabeth said.

Nathan nodded. "On my rounds today, I watched her in town, talking to everyone, and an idea came to me. I wonder if she'd like writing for the newspaper? Maybe a column? She knows everything that's going on in this town, but not in a gossipy way. People talk to her because she's really interested in learning about them."

Elizabeth said, "And I was thinking she might help Lucas coordinate some of the weddings and parties he's booking into the saloon. She's already doing a lot of it."

Nathan laughed softly. "Well, the one thing we can be sure of is that Julie will find her way. She's lucky she doesn't need to worry about money."

Elizabeth smiled. "No, she doesn't. She can work for free indefinitely, which is what I think she's doing with Lucas now. One of these days she'll need to talk to him about that if she wants the respect she deserves."

Nathan had removed his red serge tunic and was now comfortably in shirt and suspenders. Jack was standing at the window watching the painters.

Crossing to the kitchen, Nathan took Elizabeth into his arms. "I miss you already. You know I'm only going because I have to, right?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes," she said, toying with a button on his shirt. "And you _do_ have to go find him. I hate the thought that he might be in some kind of trouble."

Nathan kissed her gently. "I do too. And you see? I told you the Grants would get under your skin. First Allie, then me, then Rebecca and now Archie."

Elizabeth laughed. "How do you know I cared for Allie before I cared for you?"

Nathan grew serious. "Because when you first met me, I wasn't letting anyone in, Elizabeth." He touched her face gently. "The way you were with Allie, how you watched over her and made her feel welcome here; it softened me up. When you said you wouldn't give up on her..." Nathan shook his head. "I guess I thought maybe you wouldn't give up on me either, no matter how I fought you on it."

Elizabeth ran her fingers through his thick hair. "You were a very close second. You're right. I fell in love with Allie and then with you. But it was _very_ close."

Nathan leaned down and kissed her, and just the thought of being apart for a week made them want the kiss to last longer than it should with them standing in the kitchen and Lee's men painting outside.

"I need to get the curtains finished," Elizabeth murmured against his lips. She pulled him back against the cupboards away from the window, and kissed him again.

"We need to keep an eye on Jack..." she said.

Nathan stole a look at the window and said, "He's fine, playing..." They knew they still had tonight to be together, but a week felt like forever right now...

And then the back screen door slammed and Allie brought in her cleaned fish, trying not to drip on the wood floor. "Coming through!" she said with Emily in tow. "We caught _two_ each! Plenty for dinner for all of us. Can Emily stay? Her mom said it was okay. You should have seen how they were jumping!" she said excitedly to Nathan.

Elizabeth and Nathan had moved swiftly to opposite sides of the cupboard. Elizabeth was tidying her hair while Nathan caught his breath.

"If her mother says it's okay," Elizabeth said quickly.

"Wow, Allie, great catch," Nathan said, clearing his throat.

The girls wiped their hands and were off to Allie's room. Elizabeth called out, "Homework, girls!"

Allie and Emily called back together from the hallway, "Yes, ma'am!" And just like that, they were gone.

Nathan looked at Elizabeth, his eyes soft. He whispered, "Where were we?"

Elizabeth put her arms around his neck and said, "Here." She kissed his neck. "Here," she said, moving up to his cheek. "And here..." she whispered on his lips.

They felt small arms come around their legs and looked down, laughing. Jack had come to give hugs.

Nathan bent down and picked him up, snuggling his neck. "How's my little man?" he said, as Jack wiggled down on to his chest, his pudgy hands holding Nathan's suspenders tightly.

"You want to go see the horsies? And the men painting the barn? Maybe they'll let us help," Nathan said softly to Jack, his eyes full of love.

Then Nathan turned to Elizabeth and kissed her softly on the cheek. "To be continued later."

Elizabeth replied, smiling, "It's a date, husband."

"Wife," Nathan said on a breath.

Her knees went a little weak. _How can I still blush?_ Elizabeth thought. _We're married._ Nathan's eyes were very blue.

Elizabeth sighed and said, "Out you go. I have fish to fry."

As she watched out the window, Nathan hoisted Jack up on his shoulders.

_Gone for a week or more,_ Elizabeth thought. _I don't want to distract him. I'll tell him when he gets home._


	53. Chapter 53

"Nathan, you're going to miss your train," Elizabeth said at the bedroom door. He was sitting on the bed going through a wooden box that she'd seen first on his bookshelf in Airdrie. He'd brought it from there to their new house, and she had never seen what was inside. She only knew it was filled with his private boyhood treasures.

"I'm looking for..." he said, and then he held up a photo for her. "A picture of my father."

Elizabeth sat on the bed next to Nathan and carefully took the photo he offered. It felt fragile and old; a daguerreotype, worn, silvery and fading in a cloud around the edges. It was Archie as a younger man with Nathan's dark hair, and he was off center in the frame and solemnly looking at the camera. Elizabeth could imagine this man worrying for his family, caught in the grip of gambling. He had a furtive look about his eyes, like an animal caught in a trap.

She sighed, remembering something Nathan had said to her once. _Every person you meet has a story that can break your heart._ Elizabeth's heart went out to the Archie Grant that looked back at her from the picture. At that point in his life, he had such a long, hard road ahead.

And now Archie was missing, and the why was a mystery. Elizabeth had heard Nathan so clearly that day, his voice choked with emotion when Archie had told him he was arresting the wrong person. _You have no idea how badly I want to believe that right now._ Nathan wanted to see the best of his father, but history was tugging at him.

Elizabeth leaned her head on Nathan's shoulder. If she could, she would take away every bit of the pain she felt right now in her husband's heart. She thought of the boy Nathan was, opening this wooden box and taking out the picture of his father, looking at it, trying so hard to understand. She had no words of comfort for him, so she simply said softly, "I love you, Nathan."

He turned and held her tightly, kissing her hair. "I'm not sure you know how much it means to me to have you to come home to, Elizabeth. You're like my North Star." He pulled away, smiling. "You, the children, this town, this house. So steady and constant."

Elizabeth smiled. "We'll be here waiting for you. And missing you," she said, her eyes glistening.

Nathan tenderly lifted her chin and kissed her. He sighed and held her once more, and then took a deep breath. "I'd better go," he said.

Elizabeth nodded. She was still holding the photo. "Let me put this in an envelope," she said. "It will protect it."

Nathan followed her out to her writing desk. She pulled an envelope out of the drawer and he smiled. When he'd been in Airdrie, those envelopes had given him great joy to receive. He liked the idea that he would be carrying one with him in his travels. Nathan went to the front window to look out at the pond and the town beyond.

It was very early, and the sun was just causing a glow at the horizon. Allie and Jack were still asleep, so Nathan and Elizabeth were talking quietly. Nathan wore his red serge today. Much as he disliked taking advantage of his position as a Mountie, it did oil the wheels somewhat when he traveled. This was a personal matter, but if his father was in trouble, it could easily become a professional one.

There was a fine mist laying low on the meadow and the pond. Elizabeth came up behind him and snuggled under his arm. The muted sky reflected in the water, and she thought again about how she never minded the gray during weather like this. It actually made her feel safe, warm, and comfortable in their house. With the windows all around it reminded her of Allie's treehouse out back, a little haven amid nature's unpredictable ways.

The rooster, Chester, was beginning to crow. His full name, given by Allie, was Mr. Rochester, because he had black moods and tended to bluster around the chickens like her favorite hero in _Jane Eyre_. In keeping with her grandmother, Allie had quickly named every animal on the Grant homestead. They kept the chickens for the eggs and not for meat, so they were in no danger. But Allie wasn't taking any chances.

"I wish I could go with you to the station," Elizabeth said.

Nathan put the envelope with Archie's photo into his pouch at his hip and took his heavy blue wool coat from the rack at the door. "No, we decided that it didn't make sense to wake the children just to wave goodbye again. We did all that last night. But you..." Nathan said, pulling her tightly to him.

Nathan smoothed her hair, still down around her shoulders and tousled from sleep. She wore her robe and nightgown and it reminded him again that this exquisite woman was entirely his. "...You, I will say goodbye to as many times as I can..." He kissed her, this time allowing himself the luxury of time and the heat she always seemed to bring out in him. He knew that the moment he stepped through the door he would miss being able to do this.

He gathered the necessary strength of will to move his lips from hers and he exhaled. "You think it'll always be like this?" he said, laughing softly. "I don't ever seem to get enough of you."

Elizabeth kept her eyes closed against his shoulder, feeling the rough wool of his coat at the same time she felt a little lightheaded from the kiss. She said, sighing, "Yes, I think it will always be like this. I can't imagine ever feeling any less than this when you kiss me." She looked into his eyes, bright and blue in the emerging light. Knowing it was just delaying the inevitable but not wanting it to end, Elizabeth put her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

After a moment, Nathan whispered roughly, "I could take the later train..."

Closing her eyes and steeling her courage, Elizabeth put him at arm's length. "You don't know how much I would love that, but one of us has to be strong," she said, sighing. "I'm glad you're not riding in this weather. It looks like rain." She reached up and closed the top button of his heavy coat and then straightened his hat. "Stay warm. Stay safe. Call me when you get to Edmonton, before you head out to Spruce Grove? Hopefully the weather will be better there."

Nathan smiled his crooked smile. "Ah, now you're happy the phone is in the house, aren't you?"

Elizabeth smiled back at him. "Yes. And that noisy thing can ring every hour if it's you on the other end of the line."

Elizabeth was working very hard to hold back the tears that were threatening to fill her eyes. They would fall as soon as he was far enough away to not see them. This was hard enough without making it harder for him.

They wanted to keep the warmth in the house, so they didn't open the front door yet. "Do you know how much I love you, angel?" he said softly.

"Um-hmmm," she said fervently. "As much as I love you." She brushed her lips across his once more quickly. He opened the door, walked through it and closed it behind him.

Elizabeth went to the window and watched him walk out into the mist, and now the tears did fall in long streaks down her face and into her cotton robe. When he had disappeared in the haze, Elizabeth closed her eyes with her forehead on the cold window. _God, please keep him safe. Let him find his father and bring Archie home to us. And Lord, please keep us safe here at home too. All of us._

Elizabeth untied her robe and moved her hands down to her stomach, feeling for any difference. There was no rise, no change to match the myriad changes she was feeling inside. She had decided to stop by and see Carson soon, just to be sure, but she didn't really need to.

After little Jack, Elizabeth knew the signs – general fatigue, a sudden aversion to the smell of coffee, nausea after tasting Allie's fish or the goat's milk, changeable emotions, soreness in her breasts, trouble sleeping, headaches. Also, with Jack she had been in the throes of such grief that she'd had no idea what day or month it was for a while. This time, she knew exactly.

Elizabeth closed her eyes again and let the familiar wave of pure happiness wash over her, ending with a shiver in her neck. _Something of me and something of Nathan, creating another miraculous little being that we will bring into the world and watch grow and love. God's wonder and our joy._

She'd been so close to telling him just now. All it would take would be four little words; _I think I'm pregnant,_ and she knew he would have stayed. Nothing would have gotten him on that train.

Elizabeth wasn't unaware of Nathan's fear for her. It was not only an emotional reaction, it was logical, after what he'd been through with Sarah. But she also knew the other side, Nathan's intense desire to have a child, to have _children_ with her. She didn't need to send him off with those warring emotions and no real way to process them in the middle of an investigation that was already emotional enough for him.

Walking to the kitchen, Elizabeth put the water on to boil. A cup of ginger tea would settle her stomach and then she would have a few hours to write before Jack woke up and it was time for Allie and Elizabeth to get ready for school. She would write by hand so she wouldn't wake them, and then would transcribe later with her typewriter into the pages of her book.

Waiting for the water to boil, Elizabeth looked again at the many photos they had on their walls. Their snowstorm wedding picture, photos of Airdrie, Rebecca, Charlie, Allie and Jack, Julie, Rosemary and Lee. She stopped at the framed drawing of the four of them that Nathan had promised Opal would go on their wall.

Touching it gently, Elizabeth smiled and whispered, "We'll need you to add another one, Opal."

Nathan walked quickly through the very early morning ghost town of Hope Valley, making up the extra time he'd spent with Elizabeth. Ned was up, bringing in an overnight delivery from in front of the Mercantile, and the lights were on in the newspaper office. Other than that, the mists rested undisturbed in the town.

Ned waved, "Hey, Nathan. Early day for you."

Nathan tipped his hat and walked closer to Ned. "Heading up to Edmonton on the train." Nathan had only told Bill what he would be doing up there. It felt like personal family business and until he knew more, there was no reason to say more. "Investigation. I should be back in a couple of days, at most a week."

Ned shook his hand and said, "Good luck. And rest assured we'll keep an eye on your family."

Nathan laughed softly and nodded. "I know you will, Ned. And you can't know how grateful I am for that."

The train station was busier than the town, but boarding in Hope Valley meant that Nathan had his pick of seats. Once they went through Calgary and picked up many more passengers, Nathan would be glad for the leg room he was afforded now.

The train would go right through Airdrie and Nathan considered letting Rebecca and Charlie know, but he knew they would only have the ten minutes the train sat in the station, and Nathan wasn't sure he wanted to explain why he was going to Edmonton just yet.

As the train pulled out of Hope Valley, he was remembering what his father had said from behind the bars in jail: _So this is what happens to people like us, once you have a record_. The automatic assumption that whatever you're doing is something illegal, or wrong, or has some ulterior motive. Nathan had seen it in Benson Hills with the Mountie investigating the necklace that had been stolen. Nathan was resolving, right now, to assume innocence before guilt with Archie. And this sudden disappearance, though troubling, didn't mean that his father was doing anything wrong.

Nathan yawned, knowing he had a long train trip and glad that he would probably sleep for part of it. After the trips to and from Airdrie with Elizabeth, Allie, and Jack, he felt a little adrift. He'd brought books to read, but for now he leaned his head on the cool window and watched as the farms and homesteads outside of Hope Valley flew by.

He wasn't really seeing them. He was back in Elizabeth's arms, both of them warm from sleep, murmuring their plans for the day to each other from their pillows. When he had tried to imagine waking up to Elizabeth, he'd been lacking the experience to know how wonderful it would truly be. Nathan silently blessed whatever twists of fate had led him to this life.

He reached down and opened the pouch attached to his belt. He pulled out the envelope with Archie's picture, and slipped his fingers inside. The photo came out, but so did a small piece of paper.

_I'm there with you. Always. Don't forget to meet me in your dreams. x E_

Nathan smiled. She had taken to putting a small circle over the E that she usually signed on her notes. It was an angel's halo. It had started out as a joke, but he loved it so much that she'd continued. As he looked at it now, it blurred as his eyes filled.

He put the note against the palm of his hand and moved it over his heart, sliding his thumb over the belt strap.

_This._ This feeling is the one that Nathan had worked so hard to push away for so many years. _If you love it, you can lose it._ And God only knew how much he loved Elizabeth.

Breathing deeply, Nathan shook his head, still looking out of the train window. _No. Those are old thoughts._ He smiled and wiped the moisture from the corner of his eye. And as he did, he breathed again and consciously opened his heart further than he knew was possible.

As he closed his eyes and fell asleep, he thought of her note again.

_Yes, Elizabeth. You are here with me. Always._


	54. Chapter 54

Nathan stepped off the train in Edmonton and just stood for a moment, trying to get his bearings. It had been a long time since he'd been in a big city and the energy vibrating all around him was more than a little disorienting.

The crowds that rushed everywhere he looked reminded Nathan that the choices he'd made were the right ones. People in Hope Valley smiled as they passed each other. As he watched, very seldom did people here even make eye contact. He turned around a few times, trying to find the signs for the exit.

"May I assist you, Constable?" Nathan turned to see a very familiar and welcome sight. Another red serge.

He put out his hand. "Constable Nathan Grant, Hope Valley."

"Constable Samuel Hughes, Western Edmonton," the man replied, shaking Nathan's hand. "Sam is fine," he said, smiling, "And you're a ways from home."

"Glad to meet you, Sam, and this is lucky because Western Edmonton is where I'm headed. I'm hoping to borrow a mount to ride to Spruce Grove for an investigation."

Sam nodded. "Shouldn't be a problem. I'm headed that way. Just came in from Calgary. Any way we can help you in the investigation, Nathan?"

They were walking now, and Nathan followed Sam out to the front of the station. "Missing person," Nathan said. "I appreciate the offer of help, and I might take you up on that. I understand it's about fifteen miles to Spruce Grove?"

"Yep. Easy ride on good roads. Shouldn't take you more than a couple of hours," Sam said.

Sam looked to be about the same age as Nathan, just as tall, with sandy hair and freckles that gave him a very open, accessible look. Nathan imagined he'd be very good at questioning people. It was hard not to like and trust him on sight.

Nathan smiled. "Glad to run into you, Sam."

"You too, Nathan. That's our ride," Sam said, steering Nathan toward the waiting streetcar. They boarded and paid, and heard the hum of electricity above their heads as it lurched on the rails.

Nathan exhaled, peering out of the window. "I spent a year in Calgary about ten years ago," he said, looking around at the clogged streets and the coughing automobiles. "Since then, it's been small towns for me."

Sam laughed. "And I grew up in Montreal, so _this_ is a small town, and Calgary even smaller. It's all relative, I guess."

"Montreal. I can't even imagine," Nathan said, removing his hat and placing it on his lap. "So, I'm assuming there's a telephone I can use at the office?"

Sam looked at him, his eyebrows raised. "A number of them," he said, smiling. "Hope Valley _is_ small, isn't it?"

Nodding, Nathan said, "Just got a phone at the house a couple of months ago, and that's only because the Town Council said I had to. My wife has been less than pleased about it."

Sam's eyes went wide. "A married Mountie? This _is_ lucky. I may need to bend your ear a little on that subject, Nathan. I've got a girl but I can't bring myself to marry her, and I've a feeling she's just about ready to call it quits."

Nathan smiled and looked out the window. "I'd highly recommend it, Sam. Marry her."

Sam laughed. "From the look in your eyes, your wife is a lucky woman." Sam looked closer. "And you're a lucky man. How does she deal with it? You being gone – the danger?"

"I can't lie. She doesn't like it," Nathan said, looking at Sam. "But she's the bravest woman I know."

"How long have you been married?" Sam asked.

"A little over three months. But we've known each other for nearly two years."

Sam reached into his pouch and pulled out a photo. "Marie," he said. "We grew up together."

Nathan nodded and reached into his own pouch. "Elizabeth. And this is Allie, and Jack."

Sam frowned a little, thinking. Nathan smiled and said, "It's complicated." But then he heard himself and shook his head. "Actually, it's not complicated. Allie is my sister's girl, and I've been raising her since she lost her mom. Jack is Elizabeth's. She was a widow."

"Ah..." Sam said, nodding. A light dawned in his eyes. "You're Nathan Grant. I knew I recognized the name. Of course. You married Elizabeth Thornton." He looked at the picture again closely. "Jack is their Christmas baby."

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Wow. I'd heard the stories too, before I met Elizabeth. But I had no idea they updated so quickly. What have you heard?"

Sam exhaled. "I guess in my mind, it's even more of a story of hope now. Tragedy, and then another Mountie? It's one of the reasons I've been a little closer to asking Marie. If your Elizabeth could try again, why wouldn't my girl try once?"

Nathan was left a little speechless. He hadn't really expected to become a part of the lore, but of course it would happen.

"Sam," Nathan said tentatively, "I don't suppose we could just keep this between us? The person who's missing is my father, and I'd rather focus on that while I'm here."

Sam nodded. "You got it, Constable. I understand. I've never been famous myself, but I've known a few here in town and some in Montreal and I know it can be a little oppressive." He reached over and shook Nathan's hand again. "We'll get you your horse and send you on your way quietly." He looked out of the streetcar window. "This is our stop."

And before Nathan knew it, he was in a small room with a telephone. Sam had been as good as his word. There was a horse named Chestnut saddled and ready to go outside the window, and he would get to Spruce Grove right about the time the sun went down.

"Hope Valley operator."

"Florence," Nathan said, as he was transported immediately and very happily back to the town.

"Oh, good, Nathan! So glad you made it safely to Edmonton! She's been waiting for your call. Everything's okay?" Florence said, unable to restrain herself from joining the conversation, as usual.

Nathan laughed softly. "Yes, thank you, Florence. I'm anxious to talk with my wife," he said.

"Awww," Florence said, "You two. Elizabeth has checked with me three times to make sure the line was working correctly..."

"Florence...?" Nathan said, laughing.

Suddenly all business, Florence said, "Yes, of course! One moment, please, and I'll connect your call."

"Nathan?" Elizabeth's voice was just about the sweetest thing he could think of hearing right now.

"Elizabeth," he said softly, "You sound so good. I'm here in Edmonton, ready to ride out to Spruce Grove."

"How was your trip? Long, I imagine," she said.

"Not too bad. I slept some," his voice went lower, "Dreamed a little. Is it ridiculous that I already miss you?"

"If it is, then we're both ridiculous. I keep expecting you to walk through the door."

Nathan's voice was soft, "I promise you I'll wrap this up as quickly as possible and then I _will_ walk back through the door. What did I miss today?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Which do you want first? That Rosemary completely changed the orientation of their house right before the foundation was poured? Or that Allie now wants a dog after having spent the afternoon out at the Sutters' farm with their sheepdog? A sheepdog! Can you imagine? The thing is like a small horse! It's _much_ bigger than Jack..."

As Elizabeth talked, Nathan laughed and let it all wash over him. No matter where he was, he knew it was all there waiting for him to come home. Hope Valley would continue to be the place he longed for. Had he ever lived anywhere else?

Once she took a breath, Nathan jumped in, "Lee better put his foot down pretty soon, or they won't get that house finished before the snow falls."

Elizabeth laughed. "Oh, and are _you_ ready to tell Rosemary? Lee was hiding in his office all day!"

"And a dog isn't a bad idea for Allie, you know. But not a sheepdog. We'd be buried under the hair in a week!" Nathan said.

Elizabeth's voice faltered a little, "Oh, Nathan, it's so good to hear your voice. I'm trying to be a proper Mountie's wife, but I've been spoiled. I'm used to having you home."

"The good news is that I don't think this will happen very often." Nathan sighed. "This city is so big, with so many people, but they don't talk to each other much from what I can see. All I want is to sit in that swing with you and watch the sun go down."

"Then that's what we'll do tonight," Elizabeth said softly. "I'll sit out there and wherever you are, close your eyes and we'll be there together."

"It's a date." Nathan paused. "I love you so much, Elizabeth. Make a face at Jack and say it's from me. Hug Allie. Tell them I love them. I'll call you tomorrow from the Mountie office in Spruce Grove, but I won't be able to tell you this." Nathan's voice was very soft and low in Elizabeth's ear. "My bed will be very cold tonight, and I can't imagine not waking up to you, holding you, seeing your curls on the pillow, your smile..." His voice trailed off as he exhaled.

Elizabeth said, "I feel the same. Isn't it strange that we slept alone for so long, and now, I reach for you in the middle of the night without thinking it's ever been any different."

They were silent for a moment. They couldn't know that they had both closed their eyes, transporting to the warmth of their soft, warm bed.

Nathan sighed deeply. "I don't want to, but I have to go. I need to get riding if I'm going to make it to Spruce Grove before dark."

Sitting up, Elizabeth said, "Yes, then you _should_ go. I don't want you riding in the dark. Remember to think of us at sunset, Nathan," she said quickly.

Nathan laughed. "At sunset, before sunset, after sunset, after dark, all night... I hardly stop thinking of us, angel."

"Me, too, my love," she said softly. "Ride safe."

"I will. I'll call you tomorrow. I love you," Nathan said.

"I love you."

The line clicked off, but Nathan held on to the phone for a minute longer. Then he took a deep breath, stood and gathered up his hat and his satchel.

He found Sam and thanked him again. "If you're ever near Hope Valley, Sam, please stop by. We'll show you a taste of small town life. You might find you like it." He shook Sam's hand and leaned in, smiling, "You and Marie."

Sam nodded enthusiastically. "I'll stay in touch, Nathan. And you let us know if we can be of any assistance with your work in Spruce Grove." He lowered his voice. "I wish you good luck in finding your father."

Nathan nodded. "I'm grateful, Sam. In any case, I'll hope to see you when I bring Chestnut back. Thanks again," Nathan said, heading toward the door.

As always, Nathan needed to adjust the stirrups on Chestnut to accommodate his long legs. He tied his bag behind the cantle and put his hat smartly on his head. Pulling himself up into the saddle, he oriented himself and rode out, following Sam's directions.

Before long, he'd left the traffic and exhaust fumes behind and was back in the trees where he could breathe again. His ears were ringing a little from the constant noise of the city, but out here on the dirt road there was only the occasional coach, wagon or automobile to contend with.

The sky was turning slightly orange in streaks across the clouds. Once he'd walked Chestnut for a while and they'd gotten used to each other, Nathan leaned down and ran his hand across her long neck. "What do you think, girl? You want to shake off the city and have a run?"

She had a sure step and was a good runner. Nathan thought she was enjoying being away from the noise and smoke as much as he was. When they'd both had their fill for a while, Nathan took her down to a trot and then a walk again, both of them breathing deeply of the clean air.

Now the sky was on fire, and Nathan came to a small clearing. He pulled Chestnut off and relaxed the reins so she could graze. He couldn't look directly at the sun but looking to the side, he could see it was blazing on the horizon.

Nathan closed his eyes. It wasn't hard to imagine being in the porch swing with Elizabeth. It was one of their favorite spots. She was leaning on his chest, her fingers idly threading through his as she told him about her day at school, about Jack's latest adventure, or Rosemary's newest project.

His other hand was curling through her thick hair as he listened, and his foot was pushing the swing in tiny circles.

The sun dipped down below the horizon and Nathan opened his eyes. "I have to go, Elizabeth," he said softly, gathering up the reins. He knew he had about twenty minutes left to Spruce Grove and only about fifteen minutes of real light.

Reluctantly, he turned Chestnut back to the road. She'd obviously rested enough, because without prompting she worked back up to a canter on her own. "Good girl," Nathan said, laughing, and it wasn't long before they passed a farm or two and then saw buildings in the distance.

Nathan thought he would start with the boarding house where Archie had last stayed, and it turned out they had a room available. It wasn't much, but it was warm and solid, and the bed wasn't bad. It had an actual wool mattress instead of the usual pine boughs covered in canvas, and Nathan settled in after a quick dinner in town.

The lamp on the chest of drawers next to the bed wasn't very bright, but Nathan had brought along his copy of _Persuasion_ to read. He smiled, remembering Elizabeth's surprise at his Jane Austen collection in his room in Airdrie. She'd learned his secret of loving Austen's writing, but what he hadn't told her was that he had spent hours reading in his bedroom wondering if he would ever have his own Fanny Price or Anne Elliot, or best of all, Elizabeth Bennet.

Now he had all of them. The best of Austen's heroines all wrapped into his own Elizabeth. Courage, intelligence, wit, compassion, and of course, beauty.

He closed the book, unable to focus on the words. He looked to the right to the chest of drawers and there was a small piece of paper that had fallen behind it. Turning, he grabbed the corner, but it was stuck on a nail.

He sat up and turned the entire chest by twisting it. It was heavy, but would move, and he was able to retrieve the scrap of paper.

_Stella, Spruce Café, 8a_

It was written in strong neat letters. Frowning slightly, Nathan put the note on top of the dresser. There was something else that had caught his eye on the back of the chest, but he couldn't see it clearly. He stood and inched the chest around further, so the back was almost facing the bed.

Sitting again, he brought the lamp down closer to read what was carved very small and very neatly in the same lettering.

_Archie was here._


	55. Chapter 55

"That's all of it," Mrs. Ledoux said, pointing to a small pile of belongings in the corner of the cellar.

"Do you mind if I take it upstairs?" Nathan asked.

She waved her hand dismissively, "Long as you take it with you when you go. It'll save me the trouble of throwin' it out," she said, pulling her ample body up the cellar stairs by the railing.

"Thank you, ma'am," Nathan said. Everything seemed to be wrapped in his father's long coat with the sleeves tied around it. Mrs. Ledoux was carrying the lantern and the cellar was rapidly being plunged into complete darkness as she climbed the stairs.

"If there's anything else you can think of, I'd be obliged," Nathan said.

"Told you all I know. Kept t'imself. Didn't talk much. Paid on time 'til he didn't pay at all." Nathan recognized the world-weary sound of a woman who had seen too many faceless people come and go in her boarding house. She'd shed very little light on Archie's disappearance and Nathan hoped his father's few possessions would give him more to go on.

"One more question, Mrs. Ledoux. Is there a Spruce Café in town?"

"Yeah. Middling breakfast, not good as mine. Some of the locals like it."

"And does the name Stella mean anything to you?" Nathan asked.

"Waitress there," she said, closing and locking the cellar door after Nathan had passed through.

Nathan smiled. And people called _him_ taciturn. For just a moment he felt a bit of sympathy for Elizabeth early on when he couldn't find his words easily.

"Thanks for your help," he said, reaching up to tip his hat and quickly realizing he didn't have it on.

"You here for the week? Have'ta pay in advance for the next one," she said, rolling the wick down on the lantern and extinguishing it.

"I'll let you know," he said, starting up the stairs. "Thanks again."

Nathan climbed the three flights of stairs to his room, and realized that Archie had been on these stairs every day before and after work for months. He felt a twinge of guilt about letting his father ride off that day.

If he'd asked, would Archie have stayed? He'd seemed set on making a new life for himself and Nathan had been so filled with conflicting emotions it had never occurred to him that he should find a way to keep Archie in Hope Valley.

Now he wished he had, but regret can be a poison to the soul, and Nathan pushed it away. He'd had so many regrets about Sarah's death and Elizabeth had helped him move past them. Now Nathan believed in using regret to fix things - not to live with it daily as a chronic condition.

Nathan was torn between going through Archie's things and heading out to the Café or to Western Gateway Construction where his father had worked for the past seven months. He decided on the Café because the note he'd found was the most intriguing, and on a practical level, Nathan was hungry.

He hoped Stella worked there, and that she was working today. Nathan wouldn't be surprised if Archie had a woman in town, and it actually gave him a measure of comfort to think he'd had some companionship.

At the small counter downstairs that served as reception for the boarding house, Nathan rang the bell. Mrs. Ledoux sighed when she came through the curtain and saw that it was him. "Yeah?" she said, frowning.

"Sorry to trouble you again, but can you point the way to the Café?" Nathan said.

She raised an eyebrow, fully aware that this was breakfast business going out the door. She gloomily pointed down the street. "If you get to the Feed an' Grain, you're too far." With that, she turned and went back through the curtain.

This time Nathan did have his hat on, and he tipped it, if only to the curtain through which she had just exited. "Appreciate it."

As he walked to the Café, Nathan felt emotion welling up. This was his father's life. The bleakness of it compared to Nathan's own full, rich, joyful life was so stark that Nathan made a promise to himself. If he found him... _when_ he found him, Archie was coming home with him. And it was not lost on Nathan that again, Elizabeth had been right. It had just taken him a little time to catch up to her.

The aromas coming from the Spruce Café contradicted Mrs. Ledoux's assessment; it smelled much more enticing than the breakfast at the boarding house. The Café had a homey atmosphere, and it was the first time Nathan had felt like smiling since he'd entered his father's life in Spruce Grove.

He sat in a booth in the corner, hoping to just observe, but the red serge was a double-edged sword; it commanded respect, but it wasn't all that easy to blend in with the surroundings.

Nathan watched the waitress, a woman who looked to be in her late fifties, as she talked easily with a couple of men at the counter. Although he'd been taught not to assume anything about people, Nathan supposed she would turn out to be Stella. He liked her effortless way of relating to people, and she had an infectious laugh. For a moment, Nathan felt happiness for his father.

He peered out the window and watched the life of the neighborhood go by, thinking that at some time or another Archie had likely sat in this very place. Nathan sighed. _Where are you, Dad? If you needed help, why didn't you let us know?_

"Coffee, Constable?" the waitress said, her coffee pot poised in the air.

Nathan turned. "Yes, please," he said. _No nametag._ So he would have to be more direct. "Are you Stella?"

The infectious laugh burst forth again. "Lord, no. I'm Helen. Stella's young and beautiful, probably about your age, Constable," she said, pouring him a cup of coffee. "Cream and sugar?"

"Black, please," Nathan said, processing his disappointment along with the information Helen had just given him. "Is she here? May I speak with her?"

"Order up!" came the call from the cook, and Helen put a finger in the air and said, "Hold that thought, I'll be right back."

After delivering the plates of food to the men at the counter, Helen walked back around. She narrowed her eyes a little at Nathan. "Is Stella in trouble? We're worried about her."

"Why is that?" Nathan asked.

"That girl has been steady as rain for two years and then about two weeks ago, she didn't come into work and we haven't seen her since."

Nathan pulled his notepad and pencil out of his pouch and made some notes. "You're sure about the time frame? Two weeks?"

Helen laughed again. "I've been covering for her since then, so you bet I'm sure. She was good, too. Been trying to replace her and not having much luck." She raised her eyebrows. "If you find her, can you tell her we're thinking about her?"

"I will," Nathan said, finishing his notes.

Helen held up her own notepad. "You ordering, Constable?"

Nathan smiled. "Yes," he said, looking at the menu. "I'll take the special, over medium, bacon, and toast."

"You got it," Helen said, heading toward the cook's station.

Using the picture of his father, Nathan managed to find out that Archie ate breakfast in this café every morning, even on days he didn't work. Stella was in her early thirties, very pretty, kind, and had no particular drama in her life. The most interesting fact to Nathan was that she was a single mother with a daughter Allie's age and a husband that had run off early on.

Nathan tried to imagine Archie sitting here with memories of Sarah and the regrets that came with them. Of course he'd been drawn to Stella, possibly to help her in some way. The fact that they'd disappeared from Spruce Grove at the same time was the strongest lead Nathan had.

Breathing deeply, Nathan took one last swallow of coffee and looked out the window. He smiled. Elizabeth would be proud of him right now, he thought.

Because Nathan was imagining the best of his father instead of the worst.

Back in Hope Valley, Elizabeth was thinking that it was a good thing Nathan had chosen the large harvest table. Not that it was visible right now, covered with Rosemary's house plans, fabric swatches, paint colors, assorted magazines with design ideas, and piles of notes. Sipping her tea, Elizabeth smiled, remembering how she and Nathan had chosen the colors and styles for this house. _You like this one? Yes. Me, too. Green it is._

Putting down her cup, Elizabeth picked up her own curtains. She had finally finished hemming the white eyelet for summer, and it was time to make the winter drapes. These were of a thicker cream-colored fabric that would hold the heat in once the snow fell, but it was much harder to get her needle through the cloth, and her fingers tired easily as she worked.

Looking out the window, Elizabeth could see it was already getting dark earlier. Winter was definitely on its way, which didn't help her mood. Pregnancy was a blissfully happy time for her for many reasons, but today had been difficult for her.

Nathan's absence wasn't helping. She longed to tell him her good news, and she was hungry to share it with Rosemary, Julie, Allie and the rest of Hope Valley. But Nathan needed to be the first and she knew she didn't want to do it over the phone. It made her feel stuck in limbo with a secret she didn't want to keep.

It also didn't help that Elizabeth had slept badly last night. She'd become so accustomed to Nathan's warm body and the sound of his soft breathing next to her that she'd tossed and turned between fitful bouts of sleep.

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth chastised herself silently. Archie was missing and here she was being selfish.

"What do you think about this one, Elizabeth?" Rosemary said, holding up a square of fabric that could only be described as chartreuse. "I have a dress that combines this with violet and it looks lovely. I'm just not sure it will work for the guest room."

Elizabeth didn't answer, in part because she was tilting her head toward the sunroom, listening for the telephone. She had talked to Nathan early this morning before he'd set out for the Café, and his plan for the rest of the day was to go through Archie's things and possibly visit his work. She wanted to know what he'd found out, but she really just needed to hear Nathan's voice.

Looking back at her best friend, Elizabeth smiled. She realized that most of the questions Rosemary asked were rhetorical and didn't require an answer, and she would move on to her next dilemma without pausing. Elizabeth was very appreciative of the fact that Rosemary was here to make it easier for her without Nathan. She was being a good friend.

"So, Lee was okay with the changes you made?" Elizabeth asked, hoping to engage a little more in the conversation.

Rosemary laughed, "Oh, you know Lee. He wants me to be happy. If chartreuse and violet make me happy, then he's fine with it. I might even make him a shirt and vest to match!"

Rosemary reached across to touch Elizabeth's hand as she paused in her sewing. She smiled. "Sweet Elizabeth, you don't care about all this, do you? I'm sorry I'm just rattling on. When is Nathan going to call?"

Elizabeth frowned. "I don't know. He said he would call again when he was on his way back to his room. He has to use the public telephone in the library because the boarding house doesn't have one." Elizabeth put down her sewing and squeezed Rosemary's hand. "I'm so sorry, but would you mind if I went into the other room to listen for the telephone? I don't want to miss his call."

Waving her hand in the air, Rosemary said, "You go, Elizabeth. Go talk to that wonderful husband of yours." And just as she said it, the telephone rang. "There, you see?" Rosemary said cheerily. Elizabeth popped up like she was on a spring and ran to the sunroom.

"Hello? Yes, Fiona, thanks so much, I'll hold." Elizabeth settled herself on one of the soft chairs and calmed her breathing. She'd already filled the woodstove and it was warm and cozy looking out at the vegetable garden, and in the distance, the new foundation of Rosemary and Lee's house.

"Elizabeth?"

It was like a soothing balm hearing his voice and Elizabeth sighed into it. "Nathan. Did you find out who Stella is?"

"Yes. She was one of the waitresses at the Café, and she disappeared at the same time as Archie. Two weeks ago. Suddenly and without telling anyone, just like he did. And even with the picture being so old, the other waitress there, Helen, recognized him right away. He came every day for breakfast."

Elizabeth said, "It has to be connected, don't you think?"

"I do. And Stella is just about my age, with a thirteen-year-old daughter and no husband."

"Oh, Nathan," Elizabeth said, realizing immediately, just as he had, what that must have been like for Archie.

"Helen said that Stella spent a lot of time talking to Dad. She said he was very fatherly and kind, and left bigger tips than he could probably afford."

Elizabeth frowned. "So Stella may have been in some sort of trouble and Archie is helping her? Where could they have gone?"

"This is the part I think is most interesting. Stella's daughter's name is Jessie, and Helen had picked her up from school occasionally when Stella had to work. I visited the school and Jessie stopped going four days before Dad and Stella went missing."

Elizabeth inhaled sharply. "Jessie ran away and they went after her."

Nathan laughed softly. "Have you considered applying to the Mounties, Elizabeth?"

"I think one in the family is plenty," Elizabeth said. "Where did they go?"

"Her teacher's best guess is Edmonton. She said Jessie wants a bigger life." Nathan paused and Elizabeth heard his worry. "Dad's pay barely covered his expenses, Elizabeth. I can't imagine he had any savings."

She had to ask him the hard question. "Nathan, are you afraid your father will go back to stealing to care for them?"

Nathan's voice broke, "It's all he knows."

Elizabeth exhaled softly. "I wish he'd called us."

"I know why he couldn't. He's still trying to prove himself to me, and that's my fault. He wants to keep his promises..." Elizabeth heard him falter and she felt tears of her own welling in her eyes.

"No. You can't take this on. Your father is a grown man. It's not your fault. " How she wanted to hold him right now. "What can I do, Nathan?"

It was a moment before he answered, and when he did his voice was low and rough. "You're doing it. Just love me. And if this turns bad, remind me that I can't control everything. I know it in my head, but I feel like I just found him again..."

"I know," Elizabeth said softly. "We'll get through this together. All of us."

"Tell me something that will make me smile, Elizabeth. You always know how to do that. Give me some good news," Nathan said softly.

Oh, she was so close.

_But no, not on the phone, not with him so far away. I want to see his eyes, share in his joy, hold him close. I want to talk through the night in his arms about who this little person will be and how we made him or her together. I don't want this miracle connected to the sorrow he feels now._

"Right this minute, Rosemary is at the harvest table designing a bedroom in green and purple. She's worried it won't be bright enough. And she's planning to make a shirt and vest in the same colors for Lee so he'll match the bedroom."

Nathan laughed softly. "I love you, my angel."


	56. Chapter 56

Elizabeth opened her eyes to sunshine slanting across the bedroom. She reached her arm out, hoping again that it was a dream, but Nathan still wasn't there. Releasing a heavy sigh, she felt the familiar welling up of emotions that seemed to be her constant morning companion these days.

She knew this time would pass. She had thought when she was expecting little Jack that this was grief, but now she knew it was just her body's way of coping with the changes it was going through.

Elizabeth would have to warn Nathan that she would wake up, and soon after, the tears would come. Then they would go away, and she'd be relatively fine until the next morning.

She held the corners of the sheet up against her eyes and just let the moisture soak into the soft cotton. Her analytical mind was wondering if this was only a result of being alone in the mornings. It would be interesting to see how she reacted when she reached over and touched Nathan's warm skin instead of the cold sheets.

_Oh, how I miss Nathan. Especially now._ Even though they had the telephone calls, Elizabeth had to admit that this reminded her of those long days when Jack was in places unknown. She didn't think she would ever be able to forget that Jack died when she thought he was most safe. She'd let her guard down, and when she'd seen the Mountie on his horse in the middle of the street that night, she'd been laughing with Abigail. Carefree. Unaware. And Jack was already gone, and had been for almost two days.

Elizabeth pulled the sheet completely over her head. _Stop it. This is irrational fear talking. That and the baby that is changing everything inside you. Just stop. Get up. Do something useful._

She threw the covers off and vowed that she would get the final panels of the curtains done today. Stretching her arms over her head, she ran her fingers through her disheveled curls.

It was Saturday, and Elizabeth and Allie had no school. Allie was invited to Hattie's birthday party in town, and Elizabeth had weeding to do in the vegetable garden with Jack. Plus, it was laundry day. _No time for moping._

Also, the last of the fencing was going in today, and Elizabeth was grateful there would be a real enclosed backyard that Jack could roam freely in. With it all open to the trees in the back of the house, she had never felt comfortable putting him down for too long out there.

Speaking of Jack, she heard him stirring in the bedroom just next to theirs. He sounded happy, and the truth was, he'd figured out how to escape the crib all on his own. Elizabeth was meaning to ask Nathan about the possibility of a small bed for him instead.

Then they could move the crib into the next bedroom... Elizabeth smiled. _Another baby._ Jack was growing so fast, and she had been feeling lately that she was losing his childhood. He'd outgrown all of his little sweaters and winter was coming. Maybe Molly could teach her how to knit.

She washed and dressed quickly, always aware that at any moment Jack would bump up against his bedroom door, wanting her to open it. He wasn't tall enough to reach the door handle yet, but it wouldn't be long, she thought, laughing softly to herself. Then they would _really_ be in trouble.

There were times when she and Nathan would just watch Jack sleep. One night, Nathan had whispered, "What do you think he'll be? What kind of man?" and they'd pondered the question for a moment before Elizabeth had whispered back, "I think he'll be part his father by nature, and part you by nurture. And that will make him a very, very good man." Nathan had hugged her tightly and said, "Thank you for saying that."

Elizabeth opened her bedroom door and she could hear Jack talking to himself in his room. She opened his door carefully, saying, "How's my sweet boy? Did you sleep well?"

Jack looked up at her from his spot on the floor arranging his blocks, cloth horses and the ever-present Mountie which was a bit the worse for wear but still his constant companion.

Elizabeth laughed softly, trying not to wake Allie. "You escaped again, didn't you, little monkey? One of these days I'm going to hide and watch how you get out of that crib."

Smiling up at her innocently, Jack let his mother know very clearly that he wasn't giving up any secrets. Then he stood and raised his arms, saying, "Mama." And then, as he did almost every morning, "Nathan."

Elizabeth showed him a little pout. "I know. He's not home yet. I miss him too!" She pulled his pajama top over his head. "And you're getting very good with your H's, smart boy. Yes, it's Na_th_an."

Elizabeth smiled, again appreciating Nathan's understanding of how important it was to her that Jack stay a Thornton. Changing Allie's name to Grant made sense, and ultimately it was what Allie wanted. And until Jack was old enough to decide for himself, he would remain Jack William Thornton.

That meant that Jack would call Nathan by his first name, instead of Dad. Nathan had the utmost respect for the fact that Jack's father was and always would be Jack Thornton.

Allie called Elizabeth Mrs. Grant at school, and Mom everywhere else, and Allie had been very good about making that clear distinction. She called Nathan her dad, though every once in a while she'd slip and call him Uncle Nathan. Now they would be adding a new child to the mix, with the last name Grant and a definite mother and father.

_Modern problems,_ Elizabeth thought, finishing up getting Jack dressed for his day. In formal households, children were simply told what they were to call parents and siblings. It had always been Mother and Father in the Thatcher household. But neither Elizabeth nor Nathan wanted to raise their children with that kind of rigidity.

Life was messy. And Elizabeth loved it.

"Morning," Allie said sleepily, opening her door across the hall.

"Oh, did we wake you? I'm sorry, I should have been quieter," Elizabeth said. She liked to let Allie sleep in on weekends.

Allie smiled and came into Jack's bedroom. "No, it's okay. I need to get ready to go to Hattie's anyway. I still need to wrap her present." She nuzzled up to Jack and he giggled, putting his arms out for her.

"Your dad is calling at about ten," Elizabeth said. "Can you watch Jack while I talk to him?"

Allie smiled and rolled her eyes a little. "It depends on how long you talk. I need to be at Hattie's at eleven-thirty," Allie said, picking Jack up.

Elizabeth laughed and pulled the two of them into a hug. "We're not going to talk for an hour-and-a-half, Allie!"

Heading toward the door, Allie said, "I don't know, you two get pretty wordy..." She raised her eyebrows at Jack, "Don't they? And mushy too... You want some juice?" And they were gone down the hall and out to the kitchen.

Elizabeth laughed softly and pulled Jack's clothes together for the laundry. Another surprise from Nathan had been a washing machine with a wringer that made the job go so much faster. With four sets of clothes, plus sheets and towels, Elizabeth felt lucky they were able to afford such a thing. Once they connected into the town's power supply, they could get an electric one. It wouldn't be until the Coulter's house was finished, but Elizabeth was perfectly content to wait.

Gathering Jack's things and adding them to her own basket, Elizabeth took it out to the back door and set it down.

"Bring out your laundry basket, please, Allie," Elizabeth said, taking Jack from her. "Maybe you can help me hang it when you get back from Hattie's?"

"Yes, ma'am," Allie said cheerfully, heading down the hallway. She emerged from her room about fifteen minutes later ready for the party, and by then, Jack had finished his breakfast and Elizabeth had a cup of ginger tea brewing.

Just as Allie came back into the kitchen, they both stopped and listened. The telephone was ringing.

"There he is!" Elizabeth said.

Allie smiled and said, "I've got Jack."

Hugging her, Elizabeth said, "Have I told you what a wonderful, capable girl you are, Allie?"

Allie nodded self-consciously, "About a hundred times..."

"Good," Elizabeth said, kissing Jack on the cheek. "And I'll say it a hundred more... Thank you," she said, running to the sunroom carefully so she didn't spill her tea.

"Hello? Hi, Fiona. Yes, I'll hold..."

Nathan was frustrated today, feeling like he'd hit a dead end. "I don't know what else to do, Elizabeth. Edmonton is such a big city. I've been through Dad's things fifty times, and there's nothing. Except for the fact that his winter coat is here and it's starting to turn cold."

Elizabeth could hear the near desperation in Nathan's voice. He'd talked to Jessie's friends at her school, had enlisted the help of the Spruce Grove Mountie office, and talked with his father's co-workers, but he still had no clue about where to start in Edmonton.

Nathan had called Constable Sam Hughes and talked with him about where a thirteen-year-old girl on her own would go to try to start a new life, and everything they'd tried had come up empty. At this point, Nathan had no idea where to turn. Until he found the missing piece connecting Jessie to Edmonton, he was baffled.

"Dad and Stella are probably going through the same thing, if they haven't found her yet," Nathan said. "At least I have a picture of Jessie now," he said, pulling the envelope out of his pouch. Now the picture of Jessie was safe with the one of his father.

"You won't believe it when you see it, Elizabeth. She could be Allie's sister, she looks so much like her. It's no wonder Dad was drawn to them..."

Nathan had eaten breakfast in the booth at the Café for three straight days now and every time he did, he got a little more information out of Helen as she remembered things. There were Saturdays and Sundays when Stella had to work and Jessie would sit in a booth and do her homework. Helen remembered that Archie would help her with her math sometimes.

Elizabeth listened to these stories with a pain in her heart. "He misses Allie so much. So, one day Stella tells him that Jessie has run away and she's going after her. Archie doesn't think twice. All he knows is that he doesn't want Stella and Jessie in a city like Edmonton alone, and the only way he knows how to help is to go with them. Leaves his job and doesn't even go back to the boarding house. It all makes sense, Nathan."

Nathan exhaled. "Yes, but how do I find them?"

"You keep asking questions and something will turn up," she said softly. "Which I know is easy for me to say from down here. I wish I could help you somehow."

"You have a very good brain, Elizabeth," Nathan said, smiling. Try to put it into a thirteen-year-old girl and ask yourself what you would do. That's the key here. If we find Jessie, we find Dad and Stella. But as far as anyone knows, none of the three of them has any money."

Elizabeth sighed. It always came back to that. Nathan's fear that his father would be desperate enough to go back to stealing.

"Trust him, Nathan. From what I saw of Archie, he was determined not to disappoint you and Allie again. He'll find a way," Elizabeth said. "People do change."

Nathan laughed softly, "So you keep saying."

They talked for a few minutes more about Hope Valley and how Jack and Allie were doing. Elizabeth could tell that Nathan didn't want to get off the call, and neither did she, but the longer it took him to find his father, the longer he would be away from her. So, reluctantly, they said goodbye.

"I love you, Nathan. Please try not to get discouraged," she said.

"I will. And I know how investigations like these work. That one puzzle piece is out there. We just have to find it. I'll be here at the office for a while if you think of something." Elizabeth could hear the busy Spruce Grove Mountie office in the background. Nathan lowered his voice. "My second biggest problem is how much I miss you. I'm having trouble concentrating."

Elizabeth closed her eyes. "Me, too. And I don't sleep very well without you here. There's a big cold spot where you usually are," she said, laughing softly.

Nathan sighed. "I'll fix that when I get home. I love you, Elizabeth. I'll call tonight."

"Love you, too. I'll be waiting."

Allie needed to get to her birthday party, so Elizabeth and Jack waved her goodbye and watched until she rounded the corner in town. Elizabeth scooped Jack up to go out to the vegetable garden.

She'd gotten baskets for Allie and Jack, much like the ones that Rebecca had used in the garden with Sarah and Nathan when they were little. Jack took his job very seriously, and as Elizabeth weeded, she filled his basket and then he took it over to the pile to separate for compost. He even helped her by pulling some of the weeds, although she had to keep a sharp eye that he didn't pull up entire healthy tomato plants.

The only disadvantage to being outside these days was that Elizabeth couldn't hear the telephone from here. But since she'd just hung up the phone with Nathan, it felt like she had a lot of time before the next call.

So when Fiona came running up to the house and then found her around back, Elizabeth was surprised.

"Elizabeth!" Fiona called out.

Shading her eyes, Elizabeth said, "Fiona, I'm so sorry, is there a call? I just got off the telephone with Nathan..."

Fiona put her hands on her knees and caught her breath. "No problem. It's good exercise! And it's not Nathan," Fiona said, breathing deeply.

She looked up at Elizabeth and said, "It's Archie Grant."


	57. Chapter 57

"Elizabeth, I'm very... sorry to bother you..."

"Archie! We've been so worried! Where are you? Did you find Jessie?" Elizabeth had so many questions, she didn't know where to start.

"Jes..Jessie? How in the world do you know about Jessie?" Archie said, incredulous.

"Nathan is in Spruce Grove. He came to find you, and found your note. He's staying in your room, and talked to Helen at the café..."

"Elizabeth, please slow down. I'm not... I'm not understanding..."

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. We've just been worried sick about you. I am so glad you're okay. You _are_ okay?"

"Yes, but..." Archie paused. "Nathan's not there?"

"No, right now he's at the Spruce Grove Mountie office. Please call him, Archie."

There was silence on the other end of the line. Finally, Elizabeth said, "Nathan couldn't reach you and he came up there to make sure you weren't hurt, or in trouble."

Archie's voice was breaking. "Now why would he do something like that? He's never done that before."

"Things are different now," Elizabeth said softly. "We think we know what you're doing. For Stella? Nathan wants to help you." When Archie didn't answer right away, she added, "Please give him the chance to help you."

Elizabeth heard him take a deep, shuddering breath. "I've made so many mistakes. Disappointed Nathan so many times, and I've made a promise to myself that I won't... do that again. Why does it always have to be trouble that... brings us... " Archie said, frustrated.

"It doesn't matter why, Archie," Elizabeth said.

"I wouldn't have called but it's not for me this time... I _do_ need help." He was choosing his words carefully. "I didn't know where to turn."

"You turn to us. We're your family," Elizabeth said softly.

"Oh..." he said, almost in a whisper. From the sounds on the other end of the line, Elizabeth knew that he was crying. Finally, Archie said, his voice trembling, "I figured I gave up that right a long time ago."

Elizabeth said softly, "When you were here, I saw so clearly how much love there is between you and Nathan. He wants you in his life. _We_ want you. When this is over, please come here and stay with us. We would be so happy to have you and we have plenty of room. Just for a while, to see how you like it."

"You're a very kind person, Elizabeth... and... and I'd like to visit if that's what Nathan wants. But there are some things I have to do here first," Archie said.

"We know you're trying to help Stella. Will you call him, or can he call you where you are?"

"If you think... he'd be willing to help? Why would he come up here? After all I've done." Archie said.

"Because he loves you and you're his father. Please call him. I know he's there because I just talked to him. He's so worried about you," Elizabeth said.

She heard Archie take a deep breath. "He's really at the Mountie office in Spruce Grove?"

"Yes." Elizabeth could hear that he was open to the idea, and she wanted to make sure they got to Nathan before he left the office. "Just hold the line for a moment Archie, will you? Please don't go away."

Elizabeth jiggled the holder on the telephone and Fiona came back on the line. "Hope Valley operator, how may I help you?"

"Fiona, are you able to connect Mr. Grant to the Spruce Grove Mountie office? And if Nathan is no longer there, can you direct him back to me?"

"Absolutely. My pleasure."

"Okay, Archie. I'll wait here by the telephone until I'm sure you've been connected to Nathan. If he's already left, then you come back and talk to me and we'll figure out what to do next."

"Thank you, Elizabeth. You're so kind. I look forward to... to getting to know you better."

Elizabeth felt her eyes filling with tears. "I do, too. Very much. And please think about coming here. For as long as you want."

"Thank you," Archie said, a tremor in his voice.

"Alright, Fiona, you can disconnect me. Thanks."

Elizabeth heard a click and then she waited. If Nathan wasn't there, the phone would ring again, but she prayed it wouldn't. It was close to Jack's naptime, and he was lying on the floor of the sunroom talking softly to himself while he played with the fringe of the blanket on the sofa.

Elizabeth waited and waited. Finally, her heart sank as the phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Elizabeth, it's Fiona. Just wanted to let you know... oh, I know I'm supposed to be professional, but you should have heard Nathan's voice. He was so happy. Both of them. I'm sitting here just bawling like a baby."

The emotion of the last half-hour suddenly took hold of Elizabeth. "Thank you, Fiona," she said, as the tears began to fall. "Thank you so much for letting me know."

Elizabeth hung up the phone and reached down to pick up Jack. She needed to hold him, to feel her son warm and solid in her arms, and he obliged her by snuggling into her completely. As she rocked him slowly to sleep, Elizabeth knew that the peace Nathan was making with Archie was so important to his well-being, to his growth as a man – and as a father.

She missed her husband more than ever, but Elizabeth knew that the path Nathan and Archie would walk together in their search for Jessie could also be a path back to each other. She wanted nothing more for them. Her tears were still falling, but now she smiled as they fell. She closed her eyes and let the sun warm her face through the windows as Jack began to snore softly.

Nathan was glad he'd finally found a small unoccupied room at the Spruce Grove Mountie office because he wasn't sure he could hold it together any longer. He closed the blinds on the window that looked out to the large office and sat down at the desk. Then he put his head in his hands and allowed himself to let go.

The helplessness of the last four days, the regret, the dead ends, and the increasing feeling of desperation had wound him tight as a spring. Now that tension relaxed and he uncoiled, breathing deeply.

He'd been sitting in the main room looking at a map of Edmonton when the telephone on his desk had rung. He was expecting a call from Sam Hughes and he'd picked it up, saying, "What'd you find out, Sam?"

"Son?"

The world had telescoped into that one word and the sound of his father's voice in his ear.

"Dad?" he'd said, not believing.

"Yes. I... I talked to Elizabeth. She told me..." Archie said, tentatively.

"Are you alright, Dad? Where are you? I'll come to wherever you are." Nathan's heart was racing. He felt like he'd suddenly been given a second chance.

"I'm in Edmonton, we can't find her, son. I didn't know what else to do."

"You did the right thing. I can help. Let me help," Nathan said, emotion coloring his voice. "Please tell me where you are."

"We found a boarding house on 152nd Avenue. It's not very nice, but..." Archie's voice trailed off. He didn't know how to move on to whatever was next.

"I'll meet you there," Nathan said quickly. He looked at the map on his desk. "That's northeast, right? What's the address?"

"No, son."

Nathan took a deep breath. "Why not?"

"I'll meet you, but not there. I don't want you to see me... there," Archie said, his voice breaking.

Nathan knew how desperate his father had to be to have finally called, and if he pushed him away now, he might never see him again. "Wherever you want, Dad. You name the place."

"There's... there's a coffee shop. Stella has a shift there tonight," Archie said. "On 61st Street, Margie's."

Nathan wrote down the name. "It will take me a couple of hours to get my things and ride out to Edmonton. What time?"

"Stella's shift ends at six. We can sit there and talk if you want?"

There was a silence; the result of two men, so alike, unaccustomed to expressing feelings as strong as those they were experiencing.

Nathan broke the silence, unsure he would be able to control his voice, but needing so much to say what he'd wished he could say for the last four days. "Dad, I know you said I never have to apologize to you, but I do. I've been too hard on you. I can see you've changed, and I want... " Nathan was in the middle of a very busy room full of Mounties, and he was afraid of what he was feeling, but he summoned all his strength to get through it. "...I want my father back."

Archie was under no such constraints in a small booth at the transit station. The tears fell openly as he said, "And I want my son."

Nathan pressed his lips tightly together, trying to stem the flow of his emotions. "Don't disappear again, Dad. Please. Let me help you."

Archie exhaled. "I'll see you at six, son."

"And Dad?" Nathan said. "We'd like you to come to Hope Valley when this is all over. We have a big house now. We want you with us."

Archie laughed softly. "Elizabeth already invited me. I'd like that."

"Good," Nathan said. There was something else he wanted to ask him. "Dad? I ended up in your room at Mrs. Ledoux's boarding house. I saw what you carved in the dresser there: _Archie was here._ It helped me to find you, but how did you know to do that?"

Archie thought for a moment, and then said, "You've never been in prison. There's... it's a feeling of being separate from the world, almost of not being a person. I've carved those words everywhere I've gone." His voice was thick with emotion. "It lets me know I exist."

Nathan breathed deeply so he could speak. "You _do_ exist. I'm telling you that you do. And you have a family, people who care about you."

"Thank you, Nathan. I don't think... you'll _ever_ know what that means to me."

Nathan closed his eyes. It was hard to hang up; hard to trust that his father wouldn't run away from him again. Knowing there was still a possibility that this would be the last time he could say it, Nathan took a deep breath.

"I love you, Dad," Nathan said softly.

He heard a choke of emotion on the other end of the line as his father said, "I love you, son."

When the telephone rang again, Elizabeth realized she had fallen asleep. Jack was still snoring on her chest, unbothered by the ringing. When he slept like this, nothing would wake him.

"Hello?"

Fiona wasn't even trying to be professional anymore. "Elizabeth, Nathan's on the line. I just have to say," she said, her voice shaking, "This has been a _very_ emotional day for all of us! I'll put him through." Fiona sniffled and Elizabeth heard a soft click.

"Elizabeth?" Nathan's voice was tender, vulnerable and very quiet.

"Oh, Nathan, you talked to him?" she said, shifting Jack slightly.

"Yes," Nathan said.

Elizabeth could hear how close he was to the edge of control. "When will you see him?" she asked.

"At six. I have to ride back out to Edmonton, so I can't talk for very long, but I just needed to hear your voice. And to thank you."

"Me? I haven't done anything," she said.

"You have no idea how much you've done," Nathan said. He paused and Elizabeth let him have the time to gather his thoughts. "When you told me that Archie needs his family now more than ever, that it was so clear how we... felt about each other..." Nathan sighed. "You _knew_, Elizabeth. You saw what... what we couldn't see."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "Sometimes it's hard to see what's right in front of us. All the blessings we have that may not look like blessings."

"I told him I love him," Nathan said softly. "Even if I never see him again, he heard that from me."

Elizabeth closed her eyes, full of gratitude. "And what did he say?"

"That he... loves me too."

"That makes me so happy, Nathan," she said softly.

Smiling, Nathan said, "And that makes you happy because you are the kindest, most compassionate person I've ever known. You care as much or more for others as you do for yourself. How many times are you planning on saving me, Elizabeth?"

Laughing, she said, "I don't know about saving you, but I'm pretty sure I promised you forever. And I absolutely plan to keep that promise."

Nathan groaned softly. "You have _no_ idea how much I want to hold you right now." He inhaled. "But I have to go. I'll call you when I'm settled in Edmonton, and I'll tell you all about Stella. We're meeting at a coffee shop where she's working."

"Help them, Nathan. Whatever it takes."

"Don't worry, this will be her last shift if that's what she wants. After four days of looking at every aspect of their lives, I feel like I know Stella and Jessie."

Nathan said what both of them were thinking. "And if this were Allie...?" He couldn't continue, and Elizabeth heard his voice waver.

She said softly, "You'd hope someone would move heaven and earth to help her. I know." Elizabeth held the receiver closer. "I love you, Nathan. Call me after you see them."

"I love you, Elizabeth. More than you'll ever know."


	58. Chapter 58

The last time Nathan and Archie had seen each other, their only contact had been to shake hands. When Nathan saw Archie standing under the sign that said _Margie's Coffee Shop_, he couldn't restrain himself. Maybe it was Elizabeth's tender influence with her frequent hugs, or maybe it was just long overdue, but Archie was folded into the first hug he'd had from his son in nearly twenty years.

Nathan had debated whether to wear his red serge, and had opted instead for the plaid shirt, brown pants, suspenders and jacket. He had no need to stand out tonight, and in fact, he thought it might make Stella more comfortable about sharing information with him about Jessie.

The frustration of Nathan's search for Jessie came from the fact that he felt he'd exhausted the few leads he'd found. A friend of Jessie's had moved to Edmonton from Spruce Grove and Nathan had spoken with her and her parents. They hadn't heard from Jessie, and the friend had no idea where she might go in a city this size. Her teacher said she had an ambition to possibly be a dancer someday, but none of the schools or ballet programs in Edmonton had any record of her. Every other lead had fizzled out, and Nathan was pretty much at the end of his rope.

Now, to have the opportunity to talk with Stella meant that there would be new information. Nathan was excited for the possibilities.

"Dad," Nathan said. "We're going to find out where Jessie is. I'm not leaving until we do."

Archie looked at the ground. "I don't know what I did to deserve this. But I thank you, son."

Nathan looked out at the traffic on the street to gather his thoughts. "Did you know that only about one quarter of the people released from prison make real changes in their lives?" He looked at Archie. "You chose to ask for help, instead of falling back on what you knew. That takes real courage."

Archie looked up at Nathan but he couldn't speak.

Nathan smiled. "What I'm trying to say is... I'm proud of you, Dad."

Archie shook his head and exhaled. "And that's something I never thought I'd hear." To cover his self-consciousness, Archie turned and opened the door for Nathan. "Are you hungry?"

Nathan nodded, smiling. "I am. I missed lunch."

Archie smiled too. "Well, it's not the Spruce Café, that's for sure, but it's not bad."

They stepped inside and the mix of the smells of home cooking and the murmur of the crowd inside stopped Nathan for a moment. It was like Abigail's but doubled and then multiplied. Nathan took a deep breath and again felt gratitude for his life in Hope Valley. He wondered how people could find happiness piled on top of each other this way all the time.

Archie nodded to a young woman in a pink uniform, one of five that Nathan could see at first glance. She was across the room, and she had the same light brown hair as Jessie in her photo. She was taller than Nathan expected, but Helen's reports of how pretty she was weren't overblown.

Stella moved easily as she worked, and smiled often. When she waved back at Archie, Nathan saw her appraising him quickly, her eyes narrowing slightly before she nodded and smiled at him as well.

Archie and Nathan sat down at a booth that had just been vacated, with dirty dishes still on the table. "We'd better get this one while we can," Archie said. "This is dinner hour."

Stella came right over and started clearing it. "Sorry, I might be a little longer. My relief isn't here yet. Soon as she gets here, I'll come join you," she said. She had a warm, efficient manner about the way she cleared the table and spoke to them.

Finally, she made eye contact with Nathan, and he saw deep brown eyes that looked like they'd seen their share of pain. She smiled genuinely and said, "I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help, Constable Grant."

He smiled back and said, "We'll do everything we can to find her." He started to put his hand out and realized there would be no way for her to shake it. "Please call me Nathan."

Stella nodded. "Well, thank you, Nathan. If you're hungry, the meatloaf special is excellent."

"I am, and I'll take it," Nathan said.

She looked over at Archie and said, "Do you want anything, Archie?" For a moment, Nathan saw his father hesitate and it dawned on him.

"I'm buying," Nathan said quickly. "Mountie expense account. Have whatever you want."

Archie frowned and then Nathan saw his hunger get the better of him. "Thanks, son. I'll have the same," he said to Stella. "Coffee, black."

Nathan nodded, "And one for me, please."

Within moments, they had fresh napkins, silverware and two cups of hot coffee in front of them.

Nathan smiled at Archie, waiting for him to initiate the conversation. He certainly had questions, but the answers didn't all have to come in one night, and finally, Nathan felt there would be time.

Archie sighed and blew on his coffee to cool it down before taking a sip. "Look, son. I will always be honest with you when you ask me a question, that's a promise. But I've had a long life. Some good, more bad. And I'm... I may not be able to share it all at once." He looked up and met Nathan's eyes.

Nodding, Nathan said, "I understand. We have a lot to catch up on. We'll just take it day by day, Dad." He sipped his own coffee and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. "Right now, we have a little girl to find."

Archie exhaled, his brown eyes still held on Nathan's. "Thank you."

"So," Nathan said, "Tell me where you've looked so far."

At that same moment in Hope Valley, Julie and Elizabeth were clearing the dinner dishes from the Grant's harvest table. Allie had gone to her room to finish her homework and Jack was playing happily in the corner of the room they'd set aside for his toys.

Once they'd finished the dishes, Elizabeth brewed two cups of tea and they sat down to enjoy them.

Elizabeth laid out the extra wedding photos and those from Airdrie on the table. She was asking Julie's help to decide which ones should go where. Julie had also brought over the few old photos of Elizabeth with Jack that she'd had on the small table in her row house.

"Maybe just one of these in Jack's room?" Julie looked across at Elizabeth and said softly, "He wanted you to move on, Elizabeth. You have. Nathan is very understanding, but if you're asking my opinion, these need to be put away."

Elizabeth nodded. "I agree. I think I just needed to hear it." She took the five framed photos and moved them into the drawer of the sideboard. "Thank you, Julie."

"What are sisters for?" Julie said. She peered over her cup and narrowed her eyes at Elizabeth.

Frowning, Elizabeth said, "What?"

Pursing her lips, Julie said, "So, when were you planning on telling me?"

Elizabeth's heart sped up, but she feigned innocence. "Tell you what, Julie?"

Whispering, Julie leaned over the table toward her sister. "That you're pregnant?"

Elizabeth just stared, her eyes glazed and her mind racing.

Julie gasped softly, still whispering. "Oh. You haven't told Nathan yet, have you?"

Sighing loudly, Elizabeth said, "What, is it written on my forehead? How do you always _know_ these things?"

Julie laughed, "I've known you my whole life, sister. You're moody and emotional and you hardly touched your dinner." She tilted her head toward Elizabeth's teacup. "And you _hate_ ginger tea."

Elizabeth shook her head. "You can't say anything, Julie," Elizabeth said, her eyebrow raised. "I just don't want to tell him on the telephone."

Julie grinned as she saw the sparkle in Elizabeth's eyes. She reached across and took her hand. "It's so _wonderful!"_ she said enthusiastically, but keeping her voice down. "Are you happy?"

Elizabeth's cheeks went pink in an instant and her eyes filled as she squeezed Julie's hand. "I've never been so happy in my life, Julie, and I've had to keep this a secret. I can't say I'm sorry you know, but I really thought Nathan should be the first."

"My lips are sealed," she said, "Of course you want to tell him in person. This must be so _hard_ for you!"

"It has been, but I count my blessings. He's doing something important for his father, and I can wait a few days while he does that," Elizabeth said, sipping her tea. Then she laughed, looking down at her cup. "And I _do_ hate ginger tea but it's the only thing that settles my stomach!"

Julie sighed. "So, this will be a Spring baby? March or April?"

Elizabeth beamed at her sister, blushing again. "Yes. As near as I can tell, it was our wedding night..."

Julie laughed softly. "When it's right, it's right. Isn't that what you've always told me?" Julie took a sip of tea. "I don't suppose I can be Godmother again, can I?"

"Probably not," Elizabeth said. "But the position of Auntie is just as important." She looked at Julie with soft eyes. "I'm so glad you'll be here for this." She paused for a moment. "You _will_ be here, won't you?"

Julie raised her chin and smiled. "Yes. I find that I become more charmed by Hope Valley every day. I should have done this a long time ago."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "And that charm doesn't have _anything_ to do with Lucas Bouchard? You keep saying it doesn't, but I'm just not sure I believe you."

"The last thing I need in my life is another debonair, smooth-talking, cosmopolitan, good-looking man, sister. I had plenty of those following me around in Hamilton."

Elizabeth smiled. "And that still doesn't answer my question."

Julie stared back at Elizabeth, blinking her eyes. "I'm fairly certain all it would take is a word from me." She pressed her lips into a flat line. "Oh, I don't _know_. I _am_ attracted to him. Quite a lot, actually. And we have so much in common. He makes me laugh, and he's a complete gentleman. He respects me and values my opinion. But don't I want something _different?"_

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "Do you?"

Julie sighed heavily. "No." She squared her shoulders and raised her chin again. "But I didn't come to Hope Valley to find a man, Elizabeth. I came here to find out who I am, and I'm not finished with that yet."

Elizabeth laughed softly. "Take it from your older sister, Julie, that discovery hasn't stopped for me. And if you talk to Rebecca, it never stops. You'll always be figuring out who you are, and believe it or not, sometimes having someone standing next to you makes that process easier."

Jack came over and climbed up on the chair next to Julie. He crawled over into her lap and looked at the photos on the table in front of her. She put her arms around him and kissed him on his downy blonde hair. "I love this boy so dearly, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "You think you might want one of your own someday?" she asked.

Julie looked at her sister from under her lashes. "You know I do." She nuzzled the soft skin on Jack's cheek and murmured, almost to herself, "I wonder how Lucas feels about children?"

Allie's voice came from the hallway. "Mom? I still don't get the difference between similes and metaphors." Allie came into the dining room. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Julie smiled. "Actually, I'd like to hear the answer to that question."

Elizabeth said, "Well, a metaphor is a comparison that says that something _is_ something – like _my sister Julie is an angel._ She's not really an angel, but we use the metaphor to tell us something about her characteristics. A simile says that something is _like_ something – _Allie is as cute as a kitten_. Again, you are not a kitten, Allie, but you are definitely cute."

Allie laughed and said, "Thanks. That helps," and Julie said, "Well done, sister. I even understood that!"

Allie looked at the photos on the table. "What are you doing with these?"

"Trying to decide which ones to put on the wall," Elizabeth said.

Pointing to the one of Nathan and Jack in their matching Mountie pants, Allie said, "This one _has_ to go up. Dad looks so handsome. Doesn't he, Jack?"

Jack looked at the photo and pointed to Nathan. "Dad," he said, clear as day.

All three of them went silent. Elizabeth held her breath and pointed to Nathan again. "Who's that, Jack?" she said.

"Dad," Jack said.

All Elizabeth could think was how silly it was for adults to try to decide things like this for children. They had their own minds and their own ideas about life.

Now Jack was pointing to all the photos, and finding Nathan. Each time he said, "Dad."

There were tears in Elizabeth's eyes as she said softly, "Yes, Jack. That's your dad."

Nathan thought the meatloaf _was_ delicious, and his clean plate proved it. Stella was now sitting with them in her street clothes, and they'd been talking easily about Jessie and life in Spruce Grove and Edmonton compared to Hope Valley.

"Automobiles are still few and far between in Hope Valley," Nathan said. "I'm not sure I'd ever get used to the streets here."

"How do people get around?" Stella asked.

"Wagons for some, but mostly horses. Behind our house, we have a barn and paddocks where Elizabeth, Allie and I keep ours." He took another sip of coffee. "But they're more than transportation. I would go so far as to say they're friends. Mine has saved my life more than once."

"Jessie had a horse for a while. Well, not strictly hers, she cared for her out at one of the stables in Spruce Grove," Stella said.

Frowning, Nathan said, "Why just for a while?"

Stella said, "The stables sold her. Kind of broke Jessie's heart. She'd bonded with that horse."

Nathan leaned forward. "Any idea where the horse ended up?"

"Here. Edmonton," Stella said. Nathan watched as she came to the same realization that had already hit him. "She _really_ loved that horse."

Nathan took out his notebook. "Name of the stables in Spruce Grove? And do you remember the name of the horse?"

"The Bar-S Ranch, and the horse's name was... oh, what was it? Sunrise? No, Sunset!"

A chill went down Nathan's spine. He wrote down the information, but his thoughts were with his wife.

_Elizabeth would love this._


	59. Chapter 59

"Jessie loved her and she got sold. I feel that if I can find that horse, I can find Jessie." Nathan paused and put his feet up on the table at the Northeast Edmonton Mountie office. He'd been lucky to find a private room with a telephone, though at this hour there weren't many Constables around. "See if you can guess the name of the horse, and here's a hint. You know a horse with the same name." Nathan said.

"Hmmmm," Elizabeth said, thinking. "I'm assuming this is a signpost, because you are _completely_ a believer now. Okay, Bear and Sergeant are very male, and you already said _she._ The name Sarah would move it from a signpost into the supernatural, so I'm not guessing that. Not Toby or Rio... It's either Sugar or Sunset. I'll guess Sugar."

Nathan laughed. "You had a fifty-fifty chance!"

"No, it's Sunset?" She laughed too. "Oh, so close!"

"Close only counts in horseshoes and darts, angel."

"Ah, yes, darts. I seem to remember getting a bullseye in darts once. It just happened to be in your beer," Elizabeth said, giggling. "I couldn't make that shot again if I had a thousand tries." Her voice became tender. "But it's where I wanted it to go."

Nathan said, "So are you saying that you were flirting with me?"

Nodding, Elizabeth said, "I'll admit I wasn't very good at it. But just as a reference, if a woman throws a dart in your beer after putting cupcake frosting on your nose, she's _flirting with you!"_

Laughing, he said, "Let me write that down..."

"Don't bother, you won't need it. I'm the only one you'll be flirting with, and I promise to be more clear about it in future," Elizabeth said.

"A-HEM," Allie said from the doorway. "Young child entering the room to speak with her father."

Elizabeth laughed and said into the phone, "Your daughter would like to talk to you. I'll come back and say goodnight when you two are done."

"You'd better," Nathan said.

"Here she is," Elizabeth said, handing the phone to Allie.

"Hi, Dad!" Allie said. "How's the big city?"

"Still big and noisy and smelly," Nathan said. "How was Hattie's birthday party?"

"Big and noisy and _not_ smelly. It was actually really fun. We played games, and they had _chocolate_ cake."

"Your _favorite,"_ Nathan said. "Listen, Allie, I'm working on something, and I'd really like to get your point of view."

Allie raised her eyebrows. This was a first. "Sure."

"I'm going to ask you what you would do in a hypothetical situation, okay? Let's say Sarah doesn't belong to you, and she's being stabled at the livery."

"Okay," Allie said.

"Feeling the way you do about Sarah, what would you do if the livery sold her to someone else and she went away?" Nathan asked.

"I'd find out where she went," Allie said.

"And then what?"

"I'd tell you I wanted her back and ask what we had to do to get her," Allie said.

"And what if I told you that we couldn't do anything. The new owners don't want to let go of her, and that's that?"

"I'd go see them and try to convince them."

"Would you ask me first?" Nathan said.

Allie laughed softly. "Are we still talking hypothetical?"

Laughing too, Nathan said, "Yes."

"No, I wouldn't ask you because you'd tell me I couldn't. And you'd be right because it might be dangerous. But feeling the way I do about Sarah, I'd have to at least try."

Nathan took a deep breath. "We may have to make you an honorary Mountie, Allie. Thanks."

"Is that why Jessie is missing?" Allie said. "They sold her horse?"

Nathan knew that Elizabeth had talked with Allie about what he was doing in Edmonton, but this was one of those times that Allie sounded so adult, so mature, that it almost took Nathan's breath away.

"We think that might be the reason. And I wanted your perspective because you're the same age and you love Sarah so much," Nathan said.

"I hope you find her. She's got to be scared," Allie said.

"I'll bet she is," Nathan said. He paused. "Allie?"

"Yeah?"

"If you ever feel that you've hit a brick wall with me, just punch right through it, okay? I don't ever want you to feel like you have to run away to get heard," Nathan said.

Allie said, "Okay." She smiled. "You don't mean _actually_ punch, right?"

Nathan laughed. "Use your words first. Then warn me. If I still don't listen, you can punch me. Softly."

"I love you, Dad," Allie said.

"I love you, Allie. Sleep tight. And get your mom, please."

Elizabeth came back on the line. "Why is Allie grinning like that?"

"I asked her to help me, tell me what she would do if Sarah got sold out from under her," Nathan said.

"What did she say?"

"That she would try to talk about it first and if that didn't work, she would go after her," Nathan said. "First thing in the morning, I'll ask a Mountie from Spruce Grove to go out to the stables and find out where Jessie's horse is. Then we'll go from there."

"That was very sweet of you to include Allie. That's why she was grinning," Elizabeth said softly.

Nathan said, "It may have been sweet, but she really helped me. At least now I have some direction."

While Nathan and Elizabeth talked on the telephone, there was a young girl in Lamoureux, Alberta who was whispering softly to a pretty Appaloosa named Sunset.

Jessie Fletcher was tall for her age, and she'd had no trouble convincing the owner of the Lamoureux Stable and Livery that she was seventeen. That and her excellent work ethic had gotten her a job mucking out stalls and feeding and grooming the horses. When Mr. Bailey had realized she didn't have a place to live, he'd even given her the loft above the stables to sleep in.

There were plenty of young people with no families working on their own in Edmonton. In Spruce Grove, Jessie would have drawn attention, but the Lamoureux suburb of Edmonton wasn't a place anyone would generally run to. As long as she didn't mess up, she had a good place to sleep, she was saving money, and she was relatively happy.

It was warm and safe at the livery and Jessie loved the sounds and smells of the stable. But the best part was that she got to say her first good morning and her last goodnight to Sunset.

Of course, Mr. Bailey had no idea that Jessie was a girl. As far as he was concerned, he'd hired a seventeen-year-old boy named Jamie. It was hard at first to cut off all her hair, but now that she'd been passing as a boy for almost three weeks, she was finding that all that hair was a bit of a nuisance anyway. And the skirts, and the petticoats, and everything else that she was supposed to live up to.

As Jessie brushed Sunset tenderly, she closed her eyes. She had only said once that her dream was barrel-riding with Sunset, and her mom's reaction was so severe that she'd never said another word. For Stella, school was the only answer, and Jessie knew on one level that school was the smart path – but there were other things in life. She'd come into riding too late for world-class rodeo anyway, and Jessie knew it. But the happiest she ever felt was when she was around horses. And this horse in particular.

Sunset needed her, and that was a powerful feeling, to be needed by a gentle, loving, thousand-pound animal that you also loved to distraction.

She knew that Stella had to be going crazy right now, but after this was over she could come home – _with_ Sunset. Mr. Bailey had learned after buying her from the Bar-S in Spruce Grove that Sunset had a problem with her eyes. She had a condition that was common to Appaloosas – she was sensitive to light, and she needed an ointment gently massaged around her eyes every night to keep her from going blind. It was more trouble than Mr. Bailey wanted to go to, so he was willing to sell her to Jessie in exchange for six months of work.

Sunset needed to be ridden, but since the sun bothered her, Jessie got to ride her every night. She knew all the paths by heart, and when there was no glare to contend with, Sunset was a joyful girl who loved the wind in her mane. With the moon overhead, they had found a sort of heaven together.

Jessie thought Sunset's name was a great example of irony.

She was trying hard to keep up with her studies because Jessie had no intention of not graduating from school. It might be a year later, but she would get her diploma. She'd brought all her school books and was reading every day and trying to adhere to a lesson plan of sorts.

The hardest part was knowing how desperate Stella must be. Jessie had no desire to cause pain to her mother – she loved her very much. But she kept telling herself that this was only for a short time, and then things would go back to normal.

Lately, Jessie had been having risky thoughts – of somehow getting a note to Stella to let her know she was okay. If she could only stick it out for the full six months, there would be no danger that she'd be discovered. Taking a chance like that meant she might lose it all.

But Jessie was a naturally kind person, and not a day went by that she didn't think of Stella and how distraught she must be. It was the only dark spot for Jessie right now.

Her mother wasn't a bad person, she just didn't understand that Jessie was grown up and could make her own choices. Stella still saw her as a child, but here she was; making a living, being responsible, setting goals for herself and following through on them. Those were all the things that her mom had told her were important.

"Goodnight, girl," Jessie said softly, kissing Sunset's neck. "Good girl." Sunset nuzzled her and leaned in, her favorite way of saying goodnight.

Jessie cleaned and put away the tack and walked down the line of twelve horses. She already knew all their names, their quirks, where they liked be to scratched, the various sounds they made and what they meant. She knew which ones were restless, which ones didn't like the coyotes calling outside, which ones wanted oats more than hay, and whether they slept head in or out.

And the reason Jessie wanted so much to graduate from school is that right after, she was going to veterinary college. This was the life she wanted, no matter what anyone else wanted for her.

But if she hadn't run away, if she'd kept to her mother's plan instead of her own, she never would have found this. She had followed one horse and had found her heart's desire.

After making sure all the gates were closed and locked, and that everyone was safe and happy, Jessie climbed the ladder. She slept on a bed of hay, fragrant and soft, and the small lantern she used to read by was set up on a wooden box. She had two chapters of _Jane Eyre_ to finish tonight, and sunrise came early.

Most readers of _Jane Eyre_ knew that Pilot was Mr. Rochester's dog, but Jessie would guess that of those, very few knew the name of his spirited, jet black horse. She knew. It was _Mesrour_ and the name came from _The Arabian Nights,_ where the character by that name was the chief executioner. Jessie smiled. Who says you have to be in a schoolroom with a teacher, to learn? All it takes is motivation, dedication and steady progress. Just as Stella had always told her.

Jessie had to believe that on some level, her mother would be proud of her. But she still kept feeling a need to ease her mind. After reading her chapters, washing up and changing into her clean sleeping shirt and pants, Jessie knelt down and closed her eyes.

_Thank you, God, for another day in this beautiful place. Please give Mom some peace, and help me to know the best thing to do. And as always, thanks for Sunset._

Nathan couldn't know that as he talked with Elizabeth from the room in Northeast Edmonton that Jessie was only nine miles away in Lamoureux, closing her eyes in a bed of hay and dreaming of a life with horses.

It was late, and Nathan and Elizabeth needed to wrap up the phone call so that Florence could go home. Both Florence and Fiona relaxed the rules for the Grants because they knew that talking to each other was like breathing for them.

Elizabeth said softly. "Just before we hang up, I have a little news for you, although you'll find this out as soon as you get home anyway."

Nathan frowned. "That's mysterious. What?"

"You know how you and I had this long mature discussion about Jack calling you Nathan, because he'd always called you that and wouldn't understand the whole concept of changing Nathan to Dad, and also he was a Thornton, and on and on..."

"Yes," Nathan said. "That _was_ a long discussion."

"Well," Elizabeth said, "Jack has overruled us."

"Uh-oh," Nathan said. "Now I'm afraid. What's he calling me?"

"Dad."

There was silence on the other end of the line, and Elizabeth let him have the time. She knew, more than anyone, how completely and utterly Nathan loved Jack, from the very first moment he'd seen him.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low and rough. "Well, isn't that something?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said, her voice a little shaky too.

"Do me a favor, angel? Nathan asked.

"Anything," Elizabeth said softly.

"Tell Jack his dad says goodnight," Nathan said.


	60. Chapter 60

Nathan decided to ride Chestnut from Northeast Edmonton to Lamoureux without any of his Mountie trappings. No uniform, and he'd even removed any trace of clues from the saddle and the rest of his tack. To anyone who encountered him, he was just a traveler on his way east.

In his years as a Mountie, Nathan had developed a sense of when things were right. He knew that if he followed his instincts and didn't let his thinking get too much in the way, he could find the answer he was looking for. It was like that now as he rode.

Constable Arthur Banks of the Spruce Grove Mounties had visited the Bar-S Ranch early in the morning and had gotten all the information Nathan needed to proceed. Yes, the horse had been sold almost a month ago, to a Mr. Bailey in Lamoureux. He was looking for an Appaloosa to add to his riding stables. He offered lessons in simple riding for children, barrel racing and general rodeo skills and wanted a gentle horse with some rodeo experience.

Constable Banks thanked the ranch hand and closed his notebook, turning away. The hand turned and said, "You know, that's a very popular horse. You're the second person asking where she's gone."

When pressed by Constable Banks, the ranch hand said that a young girl, one he'd seen around the stables before, wanted to know where Sunset had gone. He'd thought she might be interested in lessons, but by the time he turned to ask her, she'd left.

And yes, this was about three weeks ago - and the girl fit Jessie's description.

Nathan knew that not all thirteen-year-old girls were the same, but he felt lucky to have Allie's perspective about how their minds worked. He wasn't absolutely positive that Jessie was in Lamoureux, but if he had to put a percentage on it, he figured it at about eighty. Maybe eighty-five.

Before riding out, Nathan had stopped to see Archie and Stella. He'd been careful not to give them hope, and just said he was following up on some leads and would see them when he got back into town.

Nathan rode up to Mr. Bailey's barn and dismounted. His natural love for stables and all things related to horses put him completely at ease, breathing in the well-known smells. He entered the barn and saw about a dozen horses in their stalls. In the distance, he could hear the all-too-familiar sound from his youth – the scraping of the shovel on the hard floor in the act of mucking out the night's soiled bedding in a stall.

There was only one Appaloosa, a beautiful mare with a black face and socks, a white coat and the typical Dalmatian-like spots of black peppering her back and flanks. As he moved closer to her, he could see that she wore blinders to help keep the light out and she had a shiny ointment around her eyes. _Conjunctiva_, Nathan thought, common in Appaloosas.

He reached out a hand, fingers in, to touch her nose with his knuckles. "Hey, girl," he said softly.

"Can I help you?"

Nathan turned, hoping to see the girl he'd memorized from her picture – a pretty girl of thirteen with long, light brown curls. What he saw instead was a boy with Jessie's face, short hair with a cap pulled down over the eyebrows, very tall and looking older than thirteen. The boy wore a plaid shirt, suspenders, work pants and boots. From the clothes, Nathan thought he might be looking in a mirror.

"I... I was wondering if any of these horses are for sale," Nathan said, a little taken aback. His eyes were adjusting to the low light in the barn, and the more he looked, the more he knew this was Jessie he was talking to. Of course she would have to pass as a boy. It would be so much easier to move through the world than it would be to try to do it as a girl.

"That one's not," she said quickly. "You don't want her anyway, she's got..."

"Conjunctiva," Nathan said.

The cap shot up a little as Jessie's eyebrows moved. "You know horses." She took the cap off and Nathan could see that she had no future as a hairdresser. It looked like she'd cut her hair with garden shears. She said curtly, "So you know you don't want her, then."

"I might, still," Nathan said cautiously, reaching out again and this time getting a nuzzling from Sunset. "Seems she likes me," he said, turning back to Jessie.

Jessie moved closer as Nathan hoped she would, in a protective stance that turned Sunset's nose away from Nathan and toward her. "Like I said, this one's not for sale."

Nathan nodded. "You the owner here?"

Jessie gave a snort. "Do I look like the owner, Mister? No. Mr. Bailey is the owner." She said quickly. "But he's not here."

Nathan gave Jessie some space and moved over to the chocolate bay in the stall next to Sunset. He reached out and stroked his neck idly. "I have a daughter about your age. She loves horses."

For the first time, Jessie smiled. "He's a good one. That's Murphy. Gentle as they come, but he doesn't like it much when the coyotes howl up in the hills."

Nathan laughed softly. "Most of them don't."

He watched as Jessie held Sunset's head underneath her neck and rubbed her face against her cheek. "You seem pretty partial to that one," Nathan said softly.

Jessie smiled again. "That's because I'm going to buy her."

Nathan nodded. "Even with her eye problems?"

Jessie sighed. "Partly _because_ of them. What chance does a horse like this have in a place where she's supposed to be ridden all day? I ride her at night and she's like a filly." Jessie's smile lit up the stables, and Nathan couldn't help but smile back.

Right now he was trying to find a way to make the leap. He could tell she wasn't frightened of him, and she'd opened up a little, but he didn't want this to go on any longer than it had to. She had to trust him and if he kept lying to her, she wouldn't.

"Jessie," he said softly.

Her head came up naturally, answering to her name, and then he saw the fear in her eyes.

He had to be familiar to her, someone she could relate to. "I'm Archie Grant's son, Jessie. He's worried about you."

She frowned. "Mr. Grant? He's your father?" Nathan could see her sharp mind working, making connections.

"My daughter's name is Allie. She's thirteen. And if she were missing, I can't even tell you how I'd feel. Your mom loves you, Jessie."

The fear was back. "Does she know I'm here?"

"No," Nathan said quickly. "She just knows I'm looking for you. And if you want to stay here and you want me just to tell her that you're okay, I can do that. But it would be better if you'd come home."

Jessie smiled sadly and shook her head. "I prayed about this, Mr. Grant. That somehow I could let Mom know that I was okay," she said with a little laugh. "God takes care of us, but not always the way we want Him to."

Nathan laughed. "Don't I know it. Sometimes we have to figure He has a better view than we do."

They both stood there quietly for a moment, lost in their communion with Murphy and Sunset, which connected them to each other. One horse lover to another.

Jessie wasn't sure what it was about this man. Maybe that he had a daughter her age. Maybe that she was just tired of being so grown up and he seemed like he understood that. And maybe that he was Mr. Grant's son, and she liked Archie so much. But she decided to trust him.

"I need to stay here for six months," she said finally. "I'm buying Sunset with the work I do here. I'm afraid if I don't buy her that she'll... Mr. Bailey was talking about the glue factory in Battleford..." She turned her head and held Sunset. "I plan to go home when I've bought her, but I can't until then."

Nathan thought for a moment. "And if you could buy her now, would you go home?"

Frowning, Jessie thought. "If I could? Yes. I didn't want to leave home. I just couldn't leave her here." Jessie raised her chin. "She's my horse. Even if I don't own her. We belong to each other."

Nathan grinned. "I understand that better than you know, Jessie." He raised his eyebrows. "Where can I find Mr. Bailey?"

Jessie said, "I'll take you there."

They walked together up to the office. Jessie sat outside on the rail, kicking a small hole into the dirt with her boots. She'd learned when things seemed to be too good to be true, they usually were. But this time, she was feeling hope.

They were in there for a long time.

Nathan came out of the office and turned to shake hands with Mr. Bailey, who said, "Glad to get rid of that horse, but sorry to lose the best hand I've had in a while." He turned to Jessie. "Jamie, if you decide you want to come back, you've got a job. Anytime."

Jessie had put her cap back on her head, and she tipped it, "Yessir. Thanks."

Mr. Bailey pointed his head toward the barn and said to Nathan, "Take your pick of tack. You bought that with her. It's all pretty old, but it should serve."

As they walked back to the barn, Jessie looked up at Nathan, not knowing whether to believe. Nathan reached his hand down and put it on her shoulder. "She's yours, Jessie."

Jessie exhaled and all the bravery she'd had to maintain for the last three weeks shattered in an instant. She ran into the barn and threw her arms around Sunset, sobbing into her long neck.

By the time Nathan reached her, she was thirteen again, and through eyes swimming with tears she turned to him and said, "I can't believe it. Thank you." She put her arms around him and said again, "Thank you, Mr. Grant. If it takes me the rest of my life, I'll pay you back. I promise."

Nathan was having a little trouble keeping his own emotions in check. He rested his hands on her shoulders and said just what he was thinking. "No need, Jessie. I would hope someone would do the same for Allie."

Jessie ran back to Sunset and hugged her too. "We're going home," Jessie said blissfully. "Did you hear that, girl? We're going home!"

Nathan watched her with a full heart. No one knew better what the love of a horse could do. Jessie was going home. And Nathan smiled, knowing that he would be going home too.

They waited until the sun was low in the sky, to lessen the effect on Sunset's eyes. They shared the sandwiches that Nathan brought in his saddlebags, and he told her finally that he was a Mountie. He told her about Elizabeth and Allie and Jack, and how he hoped that Archie would come to live with them. And he said that she and her mother had an open invitation to visit Hope Valley if they ever wanted to.

Jessie told Nathan about school and about her dream of becoming a vet. They laughed about how she cut her hair, not with garden shears but with the fetlock scissors, and dull ones at that. She thought that Allie was the luckiest girl in the world, with a barn and paddocks and her horse right in her back yard. And she said that she might like to visit sometime.

As the sun was going down, they chose Sunset's saddle and tack and got her ready to ride out. They acquainted the two horses and alternated between a walk and a canter back to Edmonton. They reached the boarding house a little after eight.

Jessie stayed with the horses while Nathan got Stella and Archie and asked them to come outside. When Stella saw her daughter, her reaction was more thanks than Nathan would ever need.

And the look in Archie's eyes – a combination of intense gratitude, deep pride and a father's love – would be with Nathan for the rest of his life.

Nathan stayed north another two days, until Jessie and Stella were safely back in Spruce Grove and Sunset was boarded at the Bar-S, this time owned by Jessie and not the stables. Helen was so grateful to have help again that Stella immediately got her job back at the Spruce Café. Archie and Nathan collected Archie's things from Spruce Grove and they both happily waved farewell to Mrs. Ledoux.

Constable Sam Hughes accompanied Nathan and Archie to the train station. A happy ending was always a good thing in this business, but apart from that, Sam had some news to share.

"I asked Marie," Sam said softly as they waited for the train to pull into the station.

Nathan's eyebrows went up. "You did? And what did she say?"

Sam sighed. "She said that she'd rather be with me in a little danger once in a while than with anyone else who is safe all the time." He nodded enthusiastically. "She said yes!"

"Good man!" Nathan said, nodding and slapping him on the back. "You won't regret it. Some say you give things up when you get married. I have to pinch myself to believe all the things I've gained."

The train pulled in and Nathan waited for the noise to subside. Then he smiled and said, "A wife, a daughter..." he paused, his heart full. "And a son."

As he picked up his bag and helped Archie up the steps, Nathan grinned and said to Sam, "What more could a man ask for?"

From the porch swing in Hope Valley, Elizabeth sighed as she gazed out on the pond.

_Tonight. Finally. I can tell him._


	61. Chapter 61

"What time does the train get in?" Julie asked.

"We'll walk over in about an hour," Elizabeth said, putting the water on to boil. "We'd love to have you come with us. You can meet the _charming_ Archie Grant."

"I would like that." Julie was at the table with Jack, coloring with pencils. "Jack, Auntie Julie wants the red pencil, please," Julie said, reaching for it. When Jack looked her right in the eye and hid the pencil under the table, Julie said petulantly to Elizabeth, "Sister. Jack won't let me use the red pencil."

Elizabeth laughed and knelt down next to Jack. "It's important for us to learn to play together, isn't it, Jack? Here, you take the blue one. Let Auntie Julie have the red one." Elizabeth made a face at Julie. "Honestly, Julie. He's _two."_

Julie frowned at Elizabeth. "I _needed_ it for my flowers."

"It doesn't help our red pencil situation that Jack insists on drawing the red serge morning, noon and night," Elizabeth said, kissing Jack's cheek.

Julie smiled. "Awww, he loves his dad." She looked at Jack and said, "Maybe he'll become a Mountie."

Elizabeth looked distressed. "Oh, Julie. Bite your tongue. I finally get my husband back after a whole week. It feels like it's been a year."

"So, how are you going to tell him?" Julie whispered, leaning over her teacup.

Elizabeth smiled, her cheeks going pink. "It's pretty simple. I just... tell him."

Julie rolled her eyes. "You've obviously never handled event planning, sister. These things must be orchestrated. Like a symphony." Julie tilted her head, liking the sound of that.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Hopefully minus the audience." She shook her head. "No, Nathan and I live a relatively uncomplicated life. No symphonies. I was going to ask Archie and Allie, and you if you're here, to watch Jack. Then I'll take Nathan out to the porch swing, and I'll just tell him." She laughed softly, "It's going to be hard enough not to blurt it out at the train station."

Julie sighed. "Well, it's not how I would do it, but that does sound sweetly like the two of you. You're kind of perfect for each other, you know?"

Her eyes going soft, Elizabeth said, "Yes. I do know."

Julie laughed and bent down to whisper to Jack. "There she goes again..." then she stood to fill her cup. "Well, on the love front, I have some news."

Elizabeth's eyes brightened. "Lucas?"

Julie smiled and raised her chin, "I have a _date."_

Elizabeth clapped her hands. "That's wonderful! How did he ask you?"

"He didn't," Julie said. "I did what you told me. I was direct and asked _him."_

Elizabeth frowned. "I never told you that."

"Oh? Then I guess it was my idea," Julie said, laughing. "In any case, it worked."

Elizabeth said, "What did you say?"

Julie used her formal tone. "I said, 'Lucas. We spend hours together every day. I enjoy your company. We have a lot in common and you make me laugh. I think we should have dinner together.'"

Elizabeth's eyes went wide. "Julie! You didn't!"

Julie grinned. "I _did."_

"And what did he say?"

Julie sighed a little. "He said, 'I thought you'd never ask me,' and then he bowed and kissed my hand. It was actually quite romantic."

Elizabeth shook her head, her mouth open. "Well, you two are made for each other."

"And I was thinking, if the dinner goes well, that you could invite us over for supper here. Just the four of us. Sometime." She looked up at Elizabeth.

Nodding, Elizabeth said, "We can do that. And Nathan and I were talking about it - Sunday is Archie's birthday, and we want to have a party for him next week. We'll invite the town to introduce him to those he hasn't met, and it can also be our housewarming." Elizabeth sipped her tea. "Since you're such a modern woman brazenly asking men out on dates, why don't you and Lucas come together?"

Julie smiled. "That's a lovely idea. I _will_ ask him."

Elizabeth looked at the clock. Suddenly her heart started racing a little. She took a deep breath and said, "Julie, I'm nervous. Why am I nervous?"

Taking her hand, Julie said, softly, "It's not every day you tell a man he's going to be a father..." She looked at Jack and smiled, "In the same week you've told him that he's _become_ a father." She laughed and squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "This is a big week for Nathan! Better get the smelling salts ready," she said, winking at her sister.

They heard Allie's door close down the hall. "Finished with my homework. It's time to go, isn't it?" she said, excited. "I can't believe I'm going to see Grandpa again. And that he's coming to _live_ with us!" Allie said. She reached her arms around Jack and said, "He's your Grandpa too, and you're going to love him, Jack. He tells _great_ stories."

_"Bumpa. Stowee."_ Jack said, still coloring his picture.

Elizabeth sighed and looked at Julie. "New words every day. He's going to be using full sentences soon!"

Julie put her arm around Jack and hugged him. "They do grow up."

Allie already had her coat on. She said to Jack, "We're going to see the big _train_, Jack!"

_"Twain,"_ he said, smiling up at her. She lifted him off the chair and took him to the coat rack to get him dressed warmly for their walk.

Elizabeth laughed and said to Julie. "I guess we're going. She's pretty excited to see her grandfather again."

Julie looked at Elizabeth from under her lashes. "And you're not at all excited to see your husband..."

In fact, when Elizabeth did see Nathan step off the train, she ran to him, because she simply couldn't stop herself. He was in his civilian clothes and looked so handsome, and the soft fire in his eyes told her all she needed to know about how much he'd missed her.

They held each other for a long time and then Nathan took her face in his hands and kissed her, gently. "You are so beautiful," he said.

Elizabeth blushed prettily. "That's very sweet talk. And I was just thinking how handsome you look."

By the time they'd let go of each other, Allie had already introduced Julie to her grandfather and the charm competition had begun in earnest. And although Archie had seen Jack from a distance in Hope Valley, he'd never met him. When Nathan and Elizabeth finally let a little bit of the rest of the world in, they looked over to see Archie with his face near Jack's and Jack's plump hand tightly gripping Archie's finger. Allie had already gotten him to repeat _Bumpa, _and Archie's eyes were glistening with happiness.

They all walked back to the house, with Julie holding Jack when he would let her, Allie holding his hand when he wanted to walk, and Archie basking in the joy of his family. Nathan and Elizabeth walked behind, talking softly about Jessie and Stella and Sam Hughes and his Marie, and how happy Nathan was to be back in the quiet streets of Hope Valley.

"When we get home, will you sit on the porch swing with me?" Elizabeth said softly. "I've been out there alone all week, waiting for this night."

He pulled her closer. "I imagined myself there so many times, I might not believe it's real," he said, softly.

Archie got settled into his bedroom, and Julie took Elizabeth aside. "Go," she said, her eyes twinkling. "I can handle anything Archie needs. You two go gaze at the moon. And _talk."_

Elizabeth's eyes widened, and she said, "Thank you, Julie. I love that you're here to share this with me."

Julie hugged her tightly. "I love you, too, sister. There's nowhere I'd rather be."

Elizabeth took Nathan's hand and led him outside. The stars were out, but they were being overpowered by the full moon which was now reflecting on the pond, creating a perfect replica of itself on the surface.

"Finally," Nathan said, dropping down into the swing and taking Elizabeth with him. She curled into his chest in her usual spot, and leaned her head back on his shoulder.

Nathan's arms came around her and he kissed her neck. "I missed you so much," he said softly. "I missed sitting here with you."

Elizabeth put her arms on his and tightened their hold around her. "I'm very glad you're home. The telephone is incredible, but it can't do this." She turned and leaned the few inches to touch his lips with hers. They held there, just breathing and listening to the whispering of the trees.

After a moment she turned back and snuggled into the warmth of his coat. She wasn't quite ready yet, and needed to calm her nerves with some ordinary talk. "Nathan, what you did? Finding Jessie and buying Sunset for her? It was so kind and generous of you."

He laughed softly. "I got a good deal on her. Mr. Bailey had no idea how high I would have been willing to go on the price. Jessie is head over heels for that horse."

"Do you think she'll visit?" Elizabeth said.

"She and Stella may come down for Christmas to see Dad. I told them they could stay with us," Nathan said.

"So, about Stella..." Elizabeth said. "This may seem like it's out of left field, but..."

Nathan laughed softly. "I don't know, Elizabeth. I really tried to figure it out while I was up there. I can't tell whether Stella and Jessie just reminded Dad of Sarah and Allie, or whether they're..."

"Related?" Elizabeth said for him.

"Yeah." Nathan leaned his head back. "There were a lot of years when he was gone on business, or lost to us because of his gambling. I suppose he could have met someone. Stella has exactly his eyes, deep brown. And he certainly feels tender toward them." He smiled. "He said something to me about the fact that he's had a long life and he might need to break it all to me slowly. I felt like that was what he was trying to say to me."

"How does that make you feel? Does it bother you?"

Nathan exhaled. "I've been more bothered for Mom than for myself for a lot of my life. I talked to her when she was here, and she helped me to let go of being so upset for the way he treated _her_. She told me to deal with my own hurt and leave her out of it," he said, chuckling.

"That sounds like Rebecca," Elizabeth said.

"So, if I leave her out of it," he said, smiling, "Would I be glad to have more family? Yes. You know me, I want to fill this house with family."

_The perfect time. The perfect segue..._

"Nathan?" she said. "I have something..."

She sounded suddenly so serious that Nathan sat up. He'd been expecting this, and he'd rehearsed it in his head on the train. "I know..." he said, interrupting her.

Elizabeth turned so she could look him right in the eye. "You _know?"_

Nathan frowned. "Well, I think I know..."

Now Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. "You think you know... what?"

"I think I know how you feel about having Dad living with us indefinitely. I mean, we _are_ still newlyweds, officially, and the house is getting a little crowded..."

_Oh, you have no idea,_ Elizabeth thought, smiling. _It's getting more crowded by the day._

"Well, I realized on the train that we should have talked it over before I just flat out told him he could live here with us. And the same with inviting Stella and Jessie to stay here at Christmas." Nathan frowned. "It wasn't fair to you. We should make those decisions together."

"Nathan, I think I suggested your father live here in the first place. I _like_ having your father here. And I'd love to spend time with Stella and Jessie," Elizabeth said. "That's not what I was going to say."

"Oh, sorry. So you don't mind if Dad stays here until he decides if he's going to stay in Hope Valley? I don't know how long that will be..."

"Yes, that's fine," Elizabeth said, laughing. "Now may I speak?"

"Yes. Sorry. What did you want to say?"

They were still facing each other on the swing. Elizabeth took his hand in hers. Suddenly, she felt the nerves coming back and actually wished she _had_ planned for Julie's symphony. Her heart was pounding. She took a breath and wordlessly placed his hand over her heart.

Nathan looked concerned. "Elizabeth, what's wrong? What do you have to tell me? Is it terrible?"

She laughed. "No. It's... wonderful." She took his hand and moved it down to her stomach, holding it there. With a shy smile, she said, "You wanted a hockey team..."

Elizabeth watched in wonder as understanding came into his eyes. In fact, she watched them change color in the light of the moon. Then his disbelief took over. Then confusion. Then realization. And then a love that went deeper than any she'd ever seen.

He looked from her eyes to her stomach, then back to her eyes. His breath was coming faster, and he said, whispering, "Are you saying... Elizabeth, are you... Are we?"

She nodded with tears in her eyes. "Yes."

He pulled her to him and hugged her so tightly she could hardly breathe, and when she gasped, laughing, he let go, saying, "Oh, are you alright?" He moved his hand back down to her stomach, protectively, gently holding it.

"I'm fine," she said, laughing softly. "Carson says I'm very healthy. _We're_ fine."

Nathan exhaled sharply. She could barely hear him, he was speaking so softly. "Mine and yours. _Ours,"_ he said, and he bent to kiss her. His lips were trembling on hers and she realized they were both crying.

She pulled away and then kissed the tears on his cheek. "Oh, Nathan... You're happy? I didn't know if... if it was too soon."

"I didn't think I could say this after our wedding, Elizabeth, but I have never been happier than I am at this moment."

He held her face in his hands and whispered, barely able to get the words out. "Say it, please. So I can hear it, in your voice... so I can remember..."

Elizabeth smiled. Even by the light of the moon he could see the brightness of her cheeks as she looked into his eyes and said softly, "You're going to be a father. We're having a baby."

He shook his head in astonishment. "I've imagined what this might feel like, but it's nothing like... I can't describe it. It's like there's been something missing inside me and that piece just fit," he touched his chest, "Right here." He kissed her again. "It's like a dream," he said tenderly.

"It is," Elizabeth said. "And we get to watch it unfold every day from now on."

His eyes bright, Nathan asked, "So, when? How long have you known?"

She smiled. "Probably late March. In Spring. I confirmed it with Carson while you were gone, but I knew before you left."

Nathan frowned. "And you didn't tell me?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "If I'd told you before you left, would you have gone?"

He gazed into her eyes, thinking. Then he smiled, and said, "No."

She nodded. "And I didn't want to tell you over the telephone." The tears had stopped, and his eyes were an almost translucent blue. Elizabeth ran her finger across his cheek. "I wanted to see your eyes change color. I needed to see how you felt about it."

Nathan smiled tenderly at her. "And what do you see, angel?"

"That you're as happy as I am. That you know what a miracle this is. That you will love and cherish this child the way I will, for as long as we live."

He took a deep breath, his eyes wide. "I love you." He kissed her cheek. "I love you so absolutely, so... completely. I wish I had a poet's vocabulary right now..."

Elizabeth laughed. "You're doing very well."

It was starting to sink in, and he leaned back into the swing, pulling her gently against his chest. "Does anyone else know?"

Elizabeth gazed up at the moon. "Only Carson and Faith, and..." she laughed softly, "Julie figured it out without me telling her. It's hard to keep something like that from a sister."

Nathan held her tightly, smiling. "Allie doesn't know yet?"

"No." She turned and looked up at him. "Should we go tell her?"

Nathan sighed. "And tell Dad that he's going to be a grandfather... again?"

They knew they would have hours tonight lying in each other's arms in the warmth of their bed to share this joy, just the two of them. But for now, they wanted to widen the circle.

Nathan took Elizabeth's hand and pulled her up gently. He held her again for a moment, and then they walked into the house. Jack was sitting on Archie's lap, showing him his drawing. Allie and Julie were across from them at the large harvest table, gazing at them with soft eyes.

When Nathan and Elizabeth walked into the room, all four looked up at them. Julie smiled at how proudly Nathan stood next to his wife, and the glow that seemed to surround the two of them.

"We have some good news," Nathan said, his voice starting to falter a bit.

Allie, always one step ahead, took one look at them - at Elizabeth's rosy cheeks and Nathan's blissful smile – and her mouth opened and her eyes went wide.

After holding it in for so long, Elizabeth could keep quiet no longer.

"We're having a baby!" she shouted, laughing.

Within seconds, they were surrounded by hugs and congratulations from Allie and Julie.

Nathan looked at his father, and their eyes met. Through the blur of their tears, a silent moment of understanding passed between them. And then Archie stood with Jack in his arms, and walked over to join the celebration.


	62. Chapter 62

"Julie, you look beautiful," Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth took a deep breath as Julie walked down the stairs in what used to be Elizabeth's row house. A memory came back to her, but the positions were reversed. Back then, Julie had come to Hope Valley for Jack's Christening and was babysitting with Jack while Elizabeth went off to the Founder's Day Dance.

Julie had said exactly the same thing when Elizabeth had walked down the stairs. It seemed ironic that on that night so long ago, Elizabeth would dance with Lucas, and now Julie was on her way to have dinner with him. For Elizabeth, it had simply been a kindness to ask Lucas for a dance when she'd been unable to find Nathan. Julie had decidedly different hopes for this evening.

Elizabeth was pleased for both of them. It was always a blessing when two good people found each other, and though Lucas had a rocky start in Hope Valley, he had become a trusted and even loved member of the community.

Elizabeth had to admit that in her joy with Nathan, she'd hoped everyone could find the same. She'd idly looked at the single women in Hope Valley wondering if any would be a good match for Lucas. For a while Fiona had been in the running, but once she and Kevin had discovered each other, it was clear that they were a much better fit.

Elizabeth could never have imagined the right girl for Lucas would be her sister.

Julie and Lucas were, as Archie liked to say, "two peas in a pod." And finally, due in large part to Julie's boldness, they seemed to be taking the next step.

Julie twirled to model the exact gown that Elizabeth had found in her suitcase when Julie had come to Airdrie for the wedding. The silk taffeta dress in the lustrous shade of magenta that had seemed so out of place and over-the-top in Airdrie, was now, it seemed, entirely appropriate.

Lucas and Julie had once talked about performances they'd attended, in different years, at the La Scala Opera House in Milan, Italy. At his request, Julie had described her dress to him over a quick lunch discussing menus for the saloon.

When she'd asked him what she should wear for this first date, he'd simply said, "The dress you wore to La Scala. Do you still have it?"

She'd said yes, and he'd nodded and said, "Please wear that one."

Lucas was the only man Julie had known who seemed to find that sort of thing interesting. Not because he was particularly taken with fashion, but because he had an appreciation of visualizing the whole picture of a story in his mind.

Julie had tried to gloss over the details, but he hadn't let her. "Where did you sit at La Scala?" he'd asked.

"My aunt and uncle have a box on the right side of the stage."

"Which floor?"

Julie smiled. "Third."

Lucas had nodded in appreciation. "Good seats. And you saw...?"

_"Otello,_ in Italian, and I didn't understand a word of it. But it was glorious," Julie said, remembering.

Lucas nodded. "I saw _La Boheme,_ also in Italian, but a friend had encouraged me to study it beforehand, so I'd know what was going on."

Julie had simply said, "I wish I'd known you then, so I could have heard that advice."

Lucas had looked at her, his brown eyes very warm, and said, softly, "I just wish I'd known you then, for many reasons."

It was one of those moments that made her lose her breath a little, when their friendship felt like it had moved onto an entirely different path – and then, the moment would pass and they'd segue back to table designs and the advantages of veal over fowl.

"It's not too much?" Julie asked Elizabeth, looking down at the bold pink of her dress.

Elizabeth laughed softly at her sister's question. Julie's style was definitely not Elizabeth's, but Julie looked stunning. "It's what he asked for, isn't it?" Elizabeth said, "Though where you would wear this in Hope Valley is a little beyond me. I'm trying to imagine you walking into either the Queen of Hearts or Abigail's wearing this dress."

Julie looked at herself in the mirror and adjusted a wayward curl. "Perhaps we're not dining in Hope Valley, sister."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "Julie. The nearest town is Benson Hills, which is nearly two hours away by automobile, and it's freezing outside. That would make for a long night!"

Julie said softly, "I might not mind a long night..." and then she at least had the good grace to blush a little.

Slightly shocked, Elizabeth said, "Is that a blush? Julie, I haven't seen you do that since you were about twelve!"

Julie sighed. "I know. I can't seem to stop it. What's happening to me?"

Elizabeth smiled tenderly. "Maybe you _care_ a little more about this particular date than you have in the past?"

Frowning, Julie said, "These Hope Valley men sneak up on you, don't they? Here I was, going about my business, talking recipes and place settings, and all of a sudden..."

Elizabeth hugged her carefully, not wanting to disturb her lovely hair. She held Julie at arm's length and looked keenly into her eyes. "And you feel he's serious? Lucas is very charming, but you mustn't mistake charm for real feelings, Julie. Until you know, please keep your heart safe, will you?"

Julie looked down at the floor. "I'm starting to wonder if it's too late, Elizabeth." She looked up at her sister. "But I will do my best."

"Good," Elizabeth said, adjusting Julie's necklace. "So, you have no idea where he's taking you all dressed up like this?"

"I have no idea," Julie said. "He told me he's picking me up in his car, and the rest of it is a surprise."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I still can't believe how many cars there are in Hope Valley. What is that now, _five?_ They smell terrible, and they spook the horses," she said, frowning.

Laughing, Julie said, "Oh, it could be _Nathan_ standing here! You two couldn't be more perfect for each other." Julie tossed her red curls over her shoulders so Elizabeth could adjust her collar. "I, on the other hand, _love_ automobiles, and if you'll notice, I will complement the deep maroon of his car tonight."

To Elizabeth's incredulous smile, Julie said brightly, "Attention to detail, dear sister. It wins the day."

And on cue, there was a knock at the door.

Julie took a deep breath and looked into her sister's eyes. "I'm nervous. How can I be nervous after spending so much time with him?"

Elizabeth kissed Julie's cheek tenderly. "Because this is different." She raised her eyebrows. "Ready?"

Julie nodded bravely and lifted her chin. "I can do this. I'm a Thatcher. Yes, I'm ready."

Elizabeth went to the door and opened it, and there was Lucas in full tuxedo holding a bouquet of flowers the color of Julie's gown.

"Good evening, Elizabeth," he said, smiling.

Elizabeth had to admit that he looked very handsome, in his Lucas sort of way. Nothing even close to Nathan in his red serge, but she could see how Julie would be taken by him, especially when he smiled. There was a combination of worldliness and boyishness that matched Julie's cosmopolitan experience and her little girl voice and nature.

But Lucas wasn't looking at Elizabeth anymore. He was looking past her at Julie, who was posed perfectly, as if a photographer had placed her there. Head tilted adorably, eyebrows raised in a question, an enigmatic smile, her lovely black lace fan open in her hand and covering just enough of her décolleté to be modest and enticing at the same time.

It had been a long time since Elizabeth had seen Julie in full bloom in her natural element, and she had to close her mouth consciously. And since she had quickly become peripheral to what was going on in the room, Elizabeth opened the door wide and stepped back, allowing them full view of each other.

Lucas made a light sound on a sigh, saying, "Julie, you take my breath away."

Elizabeth thought she might not need to worry quite so much about her sister's heart.

She saw them off from the doorway and Elizabeth felt more like the mother in this scenario than an older sister. She had actually called out, "Don't be too late!" before she could stop herself.

She closed the door and leaned against it, facing the lower level of what used to be her home. Things hadn't changed much, in part because Julie spent so much of her time either at the saloon or at Elizabeth's house, and she hadn't spent a lot of energy redecorating. And for someone who talked incessantly about food, Julie was not what anyone would call an accomplished cook.

_So many memories here,_ Elizabeth thought. It had started as Abigail's house, and was the place she'd moved into after burning down the teacherage in her first week in Hope Valley. Then it became hers, then hers and Jack's, and now Julie's.

Elizabeth had spent more hours here with Nathan than she had in her entire courtship and marriage to Jack, so it was Nathan, Allie and little Jack she saw as she looked at the dining room table, the stove, the back door that led to the yard, and the sofa in front of the wood stove in the living room.

It had served her well, this little place. But now she had her own house, which was rapidly filling with people she loved. Elizabeth gathered up her things and turned out the lights, leaving just the porch light on for Julie. Then she walked down the steps and up Rosemary and Lee's steps as she had so many times before.

The door opened before she even knocked and Rosemary took her arm and pulled her inside.

_"That_ was a sight to see!" Rosemary enthused. "Lucas in his tuxedo? And that _dress_ Julie had on! They looked as if they were heading out to a Broadway show in New York!"

Elizabeth laughed. "First of all, you were peeking through the window again. And second, it was La Scala in Milan that they were heading toward."

To Rosemary's confused look, Elizabeth only shook her head. "It's Julie and Lucas... neither of them really have their feet here on the unsophisticated frontier, you know." Realizing Rosemary still expected her to explain, Elizabeth gave her the short version. "They've both been to La Scala at different times, and he wanted her to wear the dress she'd worn there."

Rosemary tilted her head, charmed. "Oooh. That's very _sweet!"_

Elizabeth went to the stove to get hot water for tea. "He's quite taken with her, I think, Rosemary. And Julie was... _blushing."_

Rosemary's eyebrows shot up. "Julie? Blushing? Oh, my!"

"Where's Lee?" Elizabeth said. She held up the tea. "Want some?"

"Yes, please, I'd love a cup. You and I haven't had a good chat, just the two of us, for days! Your house is so full all the time." Rosemary sat down at the table. "And Lee is at the office, setting up the lumber for the trusses of the roof. Now that we have the walls up, we can close it in before it snows."

Elizabeth smiled. "I'm so happy you'll be there soon. Nathan and I walked through it last night. The rooms are so large, and the layout looks perfect. You'll love the way the light comes in your bedroom in the morning." She sat down, waiting for the water to boil. "I can't wait until I can just walk over and say hello whenever I want."

Rosemary pouted. "I know! Your moving out there has cut into our gossip time. I miss you."

Elizabeth looked down at her hands, wondering how to start. She and Nathan had sworn the family to secrecy until a few selected people in town were told about Elizabeth's pregnancy. Particularly, Nathan had become quite close with Bill, and Elizabeth needed to tell Rosemary.

"Oh, Elizabeth, what is it?" Rosemary said, always able to read her friend's thoughts practically before she had them.

Elizabeth looked up, smiling. She took Rosemary's hands in hers. "I have some news," she said.

Rosemary knew immediately. The combination of joy and sorrow in Elizabeth's eyes could only mean one thing, and Rosemary had already noticed the changes in Elizabeth's moods. Plus, she was positively glowing.

"I think I already know," Rosemary said, tears springing to her eyes. "And I'm so happy for you," she said softly.

Elizabeth hugged her tightly. "I wish... oh, Rosemary, I love you so dearly. How does this make you feel? Really?"

The water was boiling, and Rosemary took the opportunity to stand and fill the cups Elizabeth had laid out.

"First, I'm ecstatically happy for you and Nathan. Oh, and Allie and Jack. _And_ Archie and Rebecca. So many people will take so much joy in this news." Rosemary handed Elizabeth her cup of tea. "Second..." she rolled her eyes and laughed. "What was it..." she counted on her fingers after putting down her own cup. "...on your _wedding night?_ How is that _fair?"_

"I _know,"_ Elizabeth said in frustration. "It's _not_ fair."

Rosemary hugged her tightly. "I am so happy for you, really. Another baby to love, more babysitting to do, how could I be anything but happy?" Her eyes went wide, "Oh, and _Nathan._ He must be over the _moon!_ A child of your own, you two. It's just lovely, Elizabeth."

"Nathan is walking a few feet off the ground these days. So am I. And I think I may be past the funny tummy stage, and just in time. If I ever _see_ another cup of ginger tea it will be too soon."

Rosemary smiled and sipped her own tea. Then she looked up at Elizabeth. "Well, on _that_ subject, I have some news for _you,"_ she said mysteriously. "We just found out this afternoon."

"What?" Elizabeth said, hoping against hope that Rosemary would have the same news for her.

"I told you that we spoke with Grace and Lillian about the possibility of adoption." To Elizabeth's small gasp, Rosemary said, "No, now don't get ahead of me!" Elizabeth closed her lips and stayed silent.

Rosemary took a deep breath. "There is a little girl, and she needs fostering. As far as they can tell, she's six or seven months old."

Elizabeth frowned. "As far as they can tell?"

Rosemary's eyes filled with tears. "She was left on their doorstep. No note. In this _cold._ Can you imagine?" Elizabeth put her arm around Rosemary and held her as she continued. "The children at the Orphanage are older, and Lillian knows they could care for her, but it would be difficult. She wanted to know if Lee and I would be able to foster the little girl until Gabriel can investigate and see if he can find the mother."

Elizabeth was speechless. On so many levels. What if Rosemary and Lee fell in love with the baby and then Gabriel found the mother? And Elizabeth knew in her heart that it wasn't even a _what if _they fell in love...

"Oh, Rosemary..." Elizabeth started.

Rosemary raised her hand, "I know. There's a chance we'll bond with her..."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows.

Sighing, Rosemary said, "Okay, we _will_ bond with her. And we might lose her. But..." She looked deeply into Elizabeth's eyes. "Can I turn this down, Elizabeth? Can I turn that little girl away? She doesn't even have a _name."_ Now the tears did fall. "A little _girl..."_

Elizabeth held her tightly, and Rosemary cried softly into her shoulder. "I don't know what to do..." she said, sniffling.

"When do you need to let Lillian know?" Elizabeth asked.

Rosemary pulled back and used her tea napkin to wipe her eyes. "They'll care for her until they hear from us, but they'd like to know this week."

"What does Lee say?"

Rosemary laughed through her tears. "What Lee _always_ says, that he wants me to be happy and that we can handle anything together." Rosemary looked at Elizabeth closely. "I trust you and your instincts. Tell me what you think. What would _you_ do?"

Elizabeth looked at Rosemary with deep affection in her eyes, and then finally spoke. "Can you keep just a small part of your heart separate? Can you love her and know that you might lose her? You would have to do it very consciously, Rosemary." She wiped a tear from her friend's cheek. "I did it with Jack, and it allowed me to survive. There was a tiny bit of my heart that was all my own and that's the part that grew back after he died. Can you do that?"

Rosemary sat up straight and got control of her emotions. "I know I may seem flighty at times, but I've had my share of heartache in my life." She smiled and held Elizabeth's hand. "And if I turn my back on this little girl, I don't think I can live with myself."

She hugged Elizabeth. "With the love of my sweet husband and my dear friends, I'll survive, no matter what happens."

Rosemary looked at Elizabeth and smiled, her eyes glistening. "It will grow back."


	63. Chapter 63

"I wonder..." Julie said playfully, "..._where_ you are taking me?" She adjusted the voluminous skirt of her gown in the front seat of Lucas' car.

He looked over at her and smiled. "I don't suppose you'd believe me if I said La Scala?"

Julie laughed. "Considering it would take us more than two weeks to get there, you might have warned me I should pack a bag..."

Lucas smiled. "Well, then, you'll just have to be patient, won't you?"

"Oh," Julie pouted.

"I know that patience is not your strong suit, Julie," he said lightly. "The good news is you won't have to wait too long to find out."

They were in the town now, just driving past the saloon. As they drove in front of the newspaper office next door, Lucas pulled the car over and parked it, shutting off the engine.

Julie frowned and tilted her head. "We're going to the Queen of Hearts?" She was hoping there was no disappointment in her voice, but they had spent so much time at those round wooden tables.

Lucas turned to her and said, "Tell me exactly what you're thinking right now. Don't worry about how it might make me feel about our date. Be honest."

Julie turned in her seat. "Honestly? I was hoping, with what you asked me to wear, that we might be going somewhere other than the saloon." She frowned. "Not that I don't love the saloon, but at this hour there will be men at the bar drinking whiskey, and others loudly playing darts, and then there's the piano, the bright lights..."

Lucas smiled. "All very true. And what if I told you that we were going to Abigail's?" he said evenly.

Laughing, Julie said, "I'd tell you I'm just a _teensy_ bit overdressed."

Raising his eyebrows, Lucas said, "So would you agree that there's something missing in Hope Valley?"

She smiled at him from under her lashes and said, "What's up your sleeve, Lucas Bouchard?" Julie looked around, suspicious. When she looked in the newspaper building's windows, she could see the flickering of candles. Many candles.

Julie turned back to Lucas and raised one eyebrow. "I think..." she said, whispering, "Either we should alert the volunteer fire department, or there seems to be something going on at the Hope Valley Gazette," Julie said, smiling.

Lucas peered around her and shrugged. "Perhaps we should take a look?"

Laughing, Julie said, "Perhaps we should."

Lucas got out of the car and walked around. He opened her door and put his hand out formally for her. "Miss Thatcher," he said, bowing.

Julie turned and took his hand, managing her skirts, her fan and her small purse expertly from long practice. They stepped up to the boardwalk and Lucas turned a key in the door to the Gazette office. Then he opened it and ushered Julie in.

Gasping softly, Julie could see that there were, indeed, _many_ candles. If not already on fire, the room had certainly been put in the category of a fire hazard. But that wasn't the only change in the office. All the desks were cleared of their usual paper clutter and they'd been pushed to the edges of the room. In the center was one lovely small table with a snow white tablecloth, elegant place settings, fresh flowers, crisp white napkins in the shape of fans the way Julie had taught Gustav, and a small sign that read in gold letters on a white background: _Reserved._

There was soft music coming from somewhere, and Julie looked around. Of course it was invisible, as it was in the finest restaurants, but Julie detected the voice of Francesco Tamagno, the tenor she'd seen perform _Otello._

Julie turned to Lucas, her eyes wide. "Impressive," she said simply.

Smiling back at her, Lucas said softly, "That was the intention."

Lucas took her arm and walked her to the table. He stood behind her and removed her warm cloak, then turned and handed it to Landon, a young waiter Julie knew from the saloon. Except that tonight, instead of his usual casual clothes, Landon was wearing a tuxedo. Julie waved to him and nodded, whispering, "Looking _very_ dapper, Landon," and he beamed back at her.

Pulling out her chair, Lucas seated her and walked around to the other side of the table and sat, after handing his own coat to Landon.

Julie said, "I see what's going on here, Lucas. And yes, this is what's missing in Hope Valley. An elegant restaurant with fine dining and amenities of the type we've talked about." She looked around at the desks and the maps and framed newspapers on the walls. "But the ambiance could use a little work," she said, raising an eyebrow.

Lucas looked around too and then gazed at her. "I agree wholeheartedly. But I'll leave the ambiance up to you."

Julie's smile disappeared and she looked at him intently. "What are you saying?"

Before he answered, Lucas looked over at Landon, who was standing the proper distance from the table, waiting for his cue. As Lucas nodded, he brought over a silver bucket of ice on a stand with a bottle of champagne in it. He proceeded to open it and pour out two flutes for them. Then he backed away quietly.

Lucas raised his glass. "Miss Julie Thatcher, before our date begins in earnest, I would like to make a business proposition."

Julie raised her glass as well and waited in rapt anticipation.

Lucas continued. "The Gazette was running out of space and they've moved down the street to a larger building. I've purchased this one and hope to join it to our kitchen at the saloon. I would like it to be a place where the people of Hope Valley can have special evenings, _like this one..."_ he said, smiling warmly at Julie and making her heart flutter, "...where romance can blossom in an elegant setting, where anniversaries and weddings can be celebrated, and where we can serve Gustav's finest cuisine."

Julie's cheeks were coloring, to her great dismay. She still held her champagne flute in front of her, but she picked up her fan and proceeded to give herself a little air.

Lucas smiled broadly, seeing the effect his speech was having on her. He thought her blush in the candlelight made her even more beautiful.

He leaned forward and said softly. "And I'd like you to run it for me, at a mutually agreed-upon salary, with no interference and absolute trust that your instincts and experience will create a setting, a menu and an _ambiance,"_ he said, looking around, "that will charm the people of this town." He touched his glass to hers. "As _you_ have charmed _me."_

Julie's breath caught in her throat and the fan in her hand picked up speed. She wasn't often speechless, but the combination of the professional offer and the highly personal gaze of his eyes in the candlelight had set her back on her very elegant heels.

Lucas smiled, his eyes sparkling. "Do you need a moment?" he said, looking like he might be on the verge of a chuckle.

Sitting up tall in her chair, Julie pulled herself together. She put down her fan and simply let the blush bloom in her cheeks. Her smile was radiant as she looked over her champagne glass at Lucas and said, "As long as I can invest and share in a percentage of the profits, I accept."

Lucas smiled and raised an eyebrow. He thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and nodded.

She put out her hand to shake his on the business proposition, but he took it in his own and kissed it softly instead. He kept his lips there and looked up at her from under his dark brows, and they held each other's eyes for a few moments.

Julie tilted her head slightly, refusing to be bested in this little contest, and Lucas blinked first, laughing.

He let go of her hand and said softly, "You're going to be a lot of trouble, aren't you?"

Julie smiled radiantly at him and unfolded her napkin, putting it in her lap. "Yes, I expect I will."

Nathan was in the mood for a walk and he missed Elizabeth, so he called Rosemary's and told her he would come to the row houses and walk Elizabeth home. Archie and Allie were having so much fun with Jack that they practically pushed him out the door.

Elizabeth and Rosemary had made a plan to talk tomorrow and Elizabeth said she would be happy to go out with her in the wagon to Brookfield to meet the little girl she and Lee might foster. Rosemary would talk to Lee and they would let her know their decision.

Elizabeth told Nathan all about it as they walked. Lately, he had taken to putting his arm around her waist more than usual, as if he could hold his child as well as hold her. She'd caught him just today, gazing at her with wonder in his eyes, the way he might look at a great painting or a sculpture.

She'd laughed and taken his face in her hands, saying, "You're making me self-conscious! Women have babies all the time. You know this happens every day, right?"

He'd kissed her and said softly, "It doesn't happen every day to _me."_

As they walked through the town on their way home, Elizabeth looked over and saw Lucas' car parked outside the Gazette. She frowned and said, "Oh." She was hoping this evening wouldn't be a disappointment for her sister after all the preparations she'd made to look perfect.

Nathan followed her eyes, but the Mountie in him didn't care about the car, he worried about what looked like a fire inside the newspaper offices.

"Stay here," he said quickly, and started running. Of course, Elizabeth had no intention of staying anywhere, and she followed him.

By the time she reached him, Nathan was standing outside the window shaking his head and laughing softly. He stood to the side, although with the light inside and what he was seeing, he doubted the couple at the table was at all concerned with what was going on anywhere else.

Elizabeth came around Nathan and peered in. Amid what looked like a thousand candles, Lucas was holding Julie's hand to his lips. Elizabeth felt like a voyeur, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. The juxtaposition of the elegant little table and the couple sitting there, in among all the candles, and the leftover newspaper desks made for a sight that one doesn't see every day.

Nathan smiled at her. "I'm actually looking forward to the story that goes with this picture," he said. "I heard rumblings that the Gazette was moving to a larger space. You think Lucas..."

"...is borrowing it, or buying it?" Elizabeth said softly. She looked up at Nathan. "Just to give Julie this dinner?"

Nathan gently took her arm and moved her away from the window. "I'm sure you'll hear all about it in the morning," he said. He raised his eyebrow, "And _then_ you can tell _me."_

Up in her row house, Rosemary expected Lee any minute. She would usually be making preparations for him to come home from a long day. He'd finished the sawmill work earlier, and then had started handling arrangements for their new home out on the meadow. She liked to greet him at the door and show how much she appreciated all he was doing, but she couldn't seem to get herself up off the sofa.

She was staring into the fire, and to all outward appearances, Rosemary was calm. But her mind and her heart were racing.

_Funny how you can want something so desperately, and then, when it's within your grasp, it's terrifying,_ she thought.

Rosemary wasn't just afraid on the most obvious level; that the child might be taken away from her after a time. She was realizing that occasional babysitting for Jack couldn't tell her what kind of mother she would be. _What if I'm terrible at it? What if it's too much for me? What if...?_

The key turned in the door and Lee walked in. "Sweetheart?" he said, peering into the darkness. He saw her on the sofa and put down his briefcase, took off his coat and sat next to her. "What are you doing in the dark?"

"What if I can't do it, Lee?" she said, close to tears and leaning over onto his shoulder.

"Do what, Rosie?" he said softly.

"Be a _mother._ It takes so much patience and I don't know how much I have," she said.

Lee smiled and put his arms around her. He brushed the hair back from her face and tilted her head up so he could look at her. "Listen to me. You have plenty of patience. You put up with me, don't you?" he said, kissing her.

She frowned, "That's different. What about in the middle of the night, when she cries and I don't know why? Lillian said she wakes up to be fed and then has trouble getting back to sleep, the poor thing."

Lee laughed softly and said, "We'll figure it out together. And we have Elizabeth, and Molly, and the Andersons, and Carson and Faith, and so many others to ask."

Rosemary sat up and looked at him. "So, do you think it's a good idea? Should we tell Lillian yes?"

Lee exhaled. "I can't pretend it's not a big step, Rosie. And I worry about you if they find her mother and take her back." He ran his thumb across her cheek tenderly. "But you'll be such a good mother, and you have so much love to give a child. We both do."

A smile gradually brightened Rosemary's face. "I think we should do it. And if they do find her mother, we should be happy about that, shouldn't we? And then we'll just try again."

Lee took her hands in his. "Oh, Rosie. I love you so much, sweetheart." He nodded, smiling. "Yes. Let's say yes to Lillian."

"Really?" Rosemary hugged him tightly and snuggled back down, looking at the fire.

"Lillian said that she would let us give her a name," Rosemary said softly. "That's kind of a big responsibility, isn't it?"

Lee put his arm around her shoulder and said, "What about my mother's name? Violet?"

Rosemary popped back up and looked him in the eye, smiling. "Lee Coulter," she said affectionately. "You've been _thinking_ about this!"

He shrugged and smiled, "Maybe a little." He looked at her and nodded. "Maybe a lot."

Her eyes softened and Rosemary said, "You'll make a wonderful father, you know?"

Lee sighed. "I hope so, Rosie. I want to be."

"You will be." Rosemary gently touched her lips to his. "And I love the name Violet. I always have."

Lee said, "We'll go tomorrow. I'll take the day off. And tomorrow night..."

They both laughed and said together, "No sleep."


	64. Chapter 64

As they walked toward home, Nathan and Elizabeth talked about their ideas for Archie's birthday party.

"I have a request, and I hope it doesn't upset your plans," Nathan said tentatively. "Lee said he'll be ready to put the roof on the house on Saturday, and he's wondering if we can combine getting that done and our party for Archie. He's worried about snow coming in next week because it's already falling up on the sawmill's land."

Elizabeth gasped suddenly and clapped her hands. "Like a barn-raising! Everyone helps, and then we all share a big meal at our house to celebrate. It's a wonderful idea!"

Nathan laughed. "That is _not_ the reaction I expected. Lee and I were worried that you might feel it was taking attention away from the party."

"No, it's perfect. We've been studying the Mennonite culture in school and it would be such a lovely illustration of that for the children. We've been talking about barn raisings, and how all the members of the community rely on each other. Opal raised her hand the other day and said, 'Isn't that what we do in Hope Valley?'"

Elizabeth smiled. "The combination of me being so emotional these days, and our sweet Opal's question, had me nearly in tears in front of the class," she said, her eyes glistening as she remembered.

Nathan smiled at his beautiful wife, her eyes so bright and enthusiastic about offering her students an opportunity to learn. And as he seemed to do with everything these days, he connected it to his approaching fatherhood. His child, his _children,_ would have the benefit not only of her love, but also of her brilliant and creative mind as a teacher.

Elizabeth was talking quickly, excited. "There are some traditions we can incorporate. I've already told people to bring their favorite food to share. We'll get to really use our harvest table." She put her arm through Nathan's and pulled him closer. "And I thought it would be a lovely time to plant the tree from your old row house, the one you and Allie planted last Christmas? I thought you and Archie could shovel the hole and then Allie can help you put the tree in. To keep that family tradition going."

Nathan smiled and leaned closer, kissing the curls at her forehead. "You are the sweetest person I know, Elizabeth. How you remember things, and honor them."

She smiled up at him. "I remember telling you last Christmas how lovely I thought your family traditions were." She stopped and leaned up to kiss him. "I didn't know then that for _this_ Christmas I would be a part of your family." She sighed softly. "And I'm so glad to be."

They were just at the edge of the meadow now, ready to walk on to their "road," the path that had been worn down by horses, cars, wagons and their very frequent visitors.

Nathan stopped and held her tightly. He exhaled and said, "Sometimes I wonder where I go from here, Elizabeth."

She frowned, not understanding. "What do you mean by that?"

He looked out at the glow of their house, knowing that his father, his daughter and his son were inside, safe and warm. He looked at Elizabeth, his one true love, who was now carrying his child. Then he said, "What do you do when all of your dreams come true? When everything, and more, that you've ever hoped for yourself is right in front of you? Real, touchable..." He leaned down and kissed her, taking his time.

After a moment, Elizabeth pulled away and smiled up at him, her eyes still closed. "You dream some more."

They turned and looked again out at the meadow. In the half-moonlight they could see the outline of the walls of Lee and Rosemary's house, and they were both remembering when their own house had looked exactly like that.

Now their home was finished, except for a few small details outside. They had six chickens and a rooster, three horses and a goat, a vegetable garden, a barn, two paddocks, a fenced-in backyard, and a treehouse for Allie.

And a porch swing.

Elizabeth frowned. "We're still missing something, you know."

Nathan looked at her. "What's missing?"

"I seem to recall," Elizabeth said playfully, "That you promised me a cow named Lizzie."

Nathan grinned. "I did, didn't I?" He laughed. "And this is the downside of a woman with an exceptional memory. Is there anything else I've forgotten?"

Elizabeth started walking again. "There was some talk about a long row of bookshelves in the sunroom. I still have boxes of books to put somewhere."

Nathan smiled. "I'll get started on that next week. I think some of those boxes may be mine," he said, looking at her. "We _do_ like our books."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow. "We can combine your Austen section with mine." She leaned up and whispered to him, "No one will ever know."

After a moment, Nathan said, frowning, "You already know that I organize my books by author, but in your row house, most of your books were upstairs in your bedroom..." He whispered, "...which I never saw, except from a distance in Jack's room." He sighed, "One of the great mysteries of life, a woman's bedroom."

Elizabeth laughed. "Not much mystery in there. With a baby in the house, it was a challenge just to keep it _clean."_

Nathan laughed softly. "So, I organize my books by author. How do you organize yours?" he asked.

Elizabeth was warming to this discussion. "Well, it could be like a library; by genre first, then by author, then by title."

Nathan was frowning. "That sounds _way_ too complicated for me. What's the penalty if you find a book in the wrong place?"

She leaned up quickly, "A kiss."

Laughing, Nathan said, "Those shelves are going to be a _mess..."_

Elizabeth continued, "But actually, I alphabetize by title. A system that typically ignores _a, an, _and_ the_ in the title."

Nathan pulled her closer. "Oh, there's the teacher voice. Why do I love that one so much?"

Elizabeth moved back to look at him and laughed. "You _still _haven't told me about all my voices! What does that even _mean?"_

Nathan smiled mysteriously. "A topic for another evening," he said.

"So," Nathan said, "My books go by author and yours by title. We are now married and our goods and chattels are combined." He grinned at her and said, "Will this be our first disagreement?"

Elizabeth smiled up at him. "We've had plenty of disagreements. I seem to recall quite a few early on," she said.

Nathan nodded. "You were right a lot of the time."

"So were you," Elizabeth said. "I could always see it from your point of view, even if I didn't agree."

Nathan turned to her as they walked. "It was a good thing, I think. That we had those quarrels, expressed ourselves and worked through it." He laughed softly. "A little like our marriage started a long time ago. When we really got married, we knew what we could expect from each other."

Elizabeth gazed up at him. "It's true. And we've always fought fair. And listened. And still do."

They were at the house now, and without even deciding, they both walked straight to the porch swing and sat in it. They knew as soon as they walked in the door they would be in the middle of the life of the family. And wonderful as that was, they also wanted to stretch out this time, just the two of them.

"Only for a minute..." Nathan said, pulling her gently on to his chest.

"Maybe two," Elizabeth said, cuddling next to him.

Nathan's hands naturally went to Elizabeth's stomach, resting there protectively. "Boy or girl?" he whispered, "What's your guess?"

She smiled. "Too soon. I'll let you know when he or she starts talking to me."

Nathan's eyebrows went up. "They _talk_ to you?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Not in the strict sense of talking. When I was pregnant with Jack, I would get thoughts that seemed to come from outside of me, maybe from God, who knows? But now that I know him, I think it was little Jack."

Nathan shook his head in wonder, and said, "Thank you, Elizabeth, for this adventure."

She laughed. "Tell me that again when I'm big as this house, cranky, and more emotional than I am now!"

He hugged her tightly. "I'll still be thanking you, out of pure gratitude that I don't have to do this..."

Elizabeth smiled. "It's _very_ good that you know to say that."

They looked up at the stars for a time, enjoying the silence of the porch and the sound of laughter from inside the house.

Nathan said suddenly, "I just remembered something you promised me that I've never seen."

Elizabeth turned to him. "What?"

"The purple riding culottes that Rosemary made for our horse courting," he said. "The ones you didn't want to wear."

Elizabeth laughed and put her hands on her stomach. "Well, it had better be tonight, because I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to get them on."

Nathan whispered softly, "Tonight it is."

Elizabeth felt the heat come into her cheeks and she smiled back up at him. "You know, I told Rosemary that those were so bright that you could probably find me in the dark."

Since nothing more needed to be said, Nathan simply kissed her. Then, drawn by the sound of the voices inside and the glow through the windows, they stood and walked in to join the rest of their family.

Down at the row houses, Julie and Lucas stood on the front porch.

"I had a very nice evening," Julie said.

Lucas smiled. "As did I." He took her hand, looking down as he intertwined his fingers with hers. "And I hope that the combination of business and pleasure didn't diminish your enjoyment of our first date," he said, looking up into her eyes.

Julie shook her head. "Not at all." She was allowing him to continue to hold her hand, and she'd had enough experience of these goodnight moments to know that he wanted to kiss her. She was surprised by the fact that she wanted it too.

But there was more at stake. This wasn't just a flirtation; they were now business partners. The tightrope she was walking was to keep that relationship intact while still exploring how she was feeling about him, which had only deepened over the course of the evening.

Julie was very good at fluttering her fan and being enigmatic, but as she stood looking at Lucas, she realized that she wanted to be more than that to him. And somehow, the only answer seemed to be honesty.

"We're friends, aren't we, Lucas?" she said, smiling.

Pushing down the sinking feeling those words gave him, Lucas nodded. "Yes, we are."

"I can't remember a time when I had a man as a friend, and I've enjoyed the last three months with you so much." Julie could see the frown beginning between his dark brows and before she knew she was doing it, she reached up and touched the lines she saw forming there. "No, this isn't bad. I'm just trying to think of how to say it."

Her touch so relaxed him that Lucas was taken aback. He wanted very much to kiss her, but he wanted more to hear what she had to say, and that was a new feeling for him. Always the traveler, he decided to just let go and see where this was heading.

Julie said, "I had a wonderful time, and I'm glad you called it our first date, because I'd like to do this again. But I have to know that we can keep the business part of it separate," she said.

To the question in her eyes, Lucas said, "I agree, but..." He took a deep breath. "I can't deny wanting to know if we can be more than friends, Julie."

The blush overtook her cheeks again, and she laughed. She held her palm over one side of her face. "This..." she said, touching the heat with her fingers, "...hasn't happened to me in a long time. It's distressing to me that what I'm feeling is so obvious."

Lucas gently took her hand from her face. "Don't cover it up, please. It makes you even lovelier."

Julie said, "Well, I'm glad you think so because it seems to happen whether I want it to or not."

Smiling, Lucas said, "Look, I know it can be tricky to mix business and personal relationships. It can help to put everything very clearly in writing, and I think we should do that. And I can promise you that, apart from my obvious..." Lucas paused, "...my obvious _attraction_ to you, I also have tremendous respect for your talents. If for some reason this doesn't work out, I don't want to lose you, professionally. I'll do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen."

It was exactly what she needed to hear. Julie smiled brightly at him. "Thank you. I hope you don't mind if I remind you of this conversation someday."

He bowed his head very slightly. "I would expect nothing less."

Lucas reached his hand up tentatively and touched her cheek gently with his thumb. "So, what does this blush _mean,_ precisely?" he asked.

Julie looked down, suddenly shy. "I suppose it means that I like you," she said, softly. And now she actually _felt_ twelve years old, so she shook her head. "Honestly, I'm usually much more in control than this. And I don't understand it, because you and I have spent so many hours, days, _weeks_ together."

"Julie," he said, trying to meet her eyes and needing her to look up. When she finally did, he said, "I like you, too. Very much."

Very slowly, and giving her every chance in the world to stop him, Lucas moved closer. Julie sighed and whispered, "Are we really doing this?"

"I think so," he whispered back, just inches from her lips. "Tell me no and I'll stop."

Julie closed her eyes. "I don't want you to stop."

His lips touched hers and now he could feel the heat in her cheeks on his own. It only made him want her more. Lucas put his arms around her and drew her to him, and she didn't resist. He didn't want to stop, but on some level, he knew there would be time for more, and he pulled away just as slowly.

Julie smiled. "That was as lovely as I imagined it would be," she whispered against his cheek.

Lucas pulled back and raised an eyebrow. "You imagined it?"

Julie laughed softly and tilted her head. "And you haven't?"

He smiled. "Perhaps once or twice." Lucas cupped her face with his palm and kissed her again, quickly. "Goodnight, Julie." He turned and walked down the steps toward his car as she put her key in the door.

"Oh, Julie," Lucas said from the bottom of the steps. "You probably know that Nathan and Elizabeth are having a birthday party for Archie on Saturday at their new house?" He smiled at her. "I was wondering if you wanted to go with me."

Julie smiled as she opened her door. "Our second date? I would be delighted."

"And I was thinking, since we're asked to bring a favorite dish, that we could consult on something for Gustav to create?"

She smiled, "That would be fun."

"So, tomorrow," Lucas said, backing down toward his car. "Come by and we'll talk about it."

Julie laughed. "You mean, like I have practically every day for the last three months?" She smiled at him tenderly. "Nothing has changed, Lucas."

He waved and got into his car, smiling.

_And everything has,_ he thought, his heart beating solidly in his chest.


	65. Chapter 65

As Nathan and Elizabeth came in from the porch swing, the phone was ringing.

"I'll get it," Elizabeth said. She kept her warm coat on. They didn't usually keep a fire going in the sunroom unless they knew they'd be spending time in there.

"Elizabeth?" It was Rosemary, and if her ecstatic voice was any indication, she and Lee had decided to foster the baby from Brookfield.

"Did you...?" Elizabeth started.

"YES!" Rosemary said. "We're picking her up tomorrow, and I want to take you up on your offer to come with us. Will you, please?" Rosemary caught her breath. "We'll be in that wagon for hours coming home, and I'm thinking, what if she cries and I don't know what to do? I'd love to have you with me, Elizabeth."

"Of course I will, Rosemary. But I have school tomorrow, and if we go after, I'm afraid that would make a long day for you."

"No, you _don't_ have school tomorrow," came Florence's voice suddenly. "We'll teach your class, Elizabeth! Rosemary asked if Molly and I could substitute for the day, and we'd love to! Carson said he can spare Molly." Elizabeth thought she heard Florence sniffling. "Another _baby!_ We're all so happy!" Florence said.

"Florence, really? You don't mind?" Elizabeth said gratefully.

"We'd love it. We feel like we're doing our part to welcome our newest Hope Valley resident!"

Elizabeth said, "I can send the lesson plan with Allie in the morning. Thank you so much, Florence."

"You're _very_ welcome," Florence said, blowing her nose.

"Yes, thank you, Florence," Rosemary said, "We appreciate it so much." She paused, waiting for Florence to get off the line, but she never heard the click. "Florence?"

"Yes?"

_"Thank you,"_ Rosemary said again, more forcefully.

"Oh, yes, of course! Sorry!"

Then they heard the click, and Elizabeth said gently, "How do you feel, Rosemary?"

Elizabeth could almost see Rosemary's hands fluttering. "Excited, terrified, certain, _not_ certain, thrilled... ask me again in a minute and you'll get a completely different answer," Rosemary said.

"And this is all normal," Elizabeth said calmly.

Rosemary took a deep breath. "You see? This is why I need you to come with us. I'm sure I'll change my mind every five minutes on the way to Brookfield..."

"Rosemary." Elizabeth smiled, remembering how absolutely unprepared she felt in the last month of her pregnancy with Jack. "You want this, don't you?"

"So much," Rosemary said softly. "I can't imagine doing anything else."

"Then that's what we'll focus on tomorrow. All the way to Brookfield. And on the way home, with your baby in your arms, it will all make sense," Elizabeth said. "Trust me."

"I do trust you. Completely. I'm not sure how we would do this without you," Rosemary said, breathing deeply and sounding much calmer than she had at the beginning of the conversation.

"What time do you want me to meet you?" Elizabeth said.

"At seven, at the livery. We're taking the wagon because Lillian has a carriage, a crib and some toys that they want to let us use," Rosemary said. "Dress warmly. Once the sun comes out it's fine, but early in the morning, it will be cold."

"I will." Elizabeth sighed. "I'm so happy for you, Rosemary. For both of you."

"Oh, Elizabeth. Is this really happening?" It was hard to tell if Rosemary was crying or laughing.

"It really is," Elizabeth said, feeling so excited for her friend. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

Nathan had come in to the sunroom for the last part of the conversation. He was now sitting next to her, his long legs stretched out in front of him. There was a slight chill in the room, and Nathan took a quilt from the sofa and covered Elizabeth, taking special care to tuck it around her.

Elizabeth laughed and shook her head. "I don't know if I'm ready for all this pampering."

Nathan raised an eyebrow, "Well, you'd better get used to it, because it's only going to get worse." He moved closer to her and smiled. "Body heat," he said. "Strictly therapeutic." He kissed her on the cheek.

"And kisses are therapeutic as well, I suppose?"

Nuzzling her ear and making her giggle, Nathan said, "It's a known medical fact."

Just then, Jack came running in and made his best effort at climbing up on the sofa. Nathan reached his arm out and helped him up, and Jack put his arms around Nathan's neck, wanting to be held. Nathan happily obliged. Allie was right behind him, and then, just to complete the family tableau, Archie walked in.

"You two have a nice walk?" Archie asked. Then he sat down across from them and said, "We having a family meeting?"

Elizabeth smiled. "As a matter of fact, we are," she said. "Rosemary and Lee have decided to foster the little girl from the New Hope Orphanage..." At this point, Allie clapped her hands happily as Elizabeth continued. "Rosemary would like me to go with them in the wagon to Brookfield tomorrow."

Allie raised her eyebrows and grinned. "So, no school? Grandpa, do you want to go fishing with me?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Hold on, Allie. Florence and Molly are going to substitute for me, and I need you to take them the lesson plan."

Allie sighed and nodded. "Yes, ma'am," she said.

Archie leaned over and whispered. "What if we go fishing _after_ school? I've been wanting to see this spot you're talking about."

Nathan joined the conversation. "Actually, Dad, I'm going to Brookfield too, so we might need you to help Allie watch Jack after Laura leaves, if you don't mind."

Archie looked over at Jack and made a face at him, and Jack giggled. _Like father, like son, _Elizabeth thought with a smile. Archie said, "I'll never turn down a chance to spend time with my grandson..." He looked affectionately at Allie, "...or my granddaughter."

Elizabeth turned to Nathan. "You're coming with us?" It was the first she'd heard of it.

Nathan shrugged. "Gabe has been asking when we can get together to discuss that bank fraud case from a while back. He's testifying in a couple of weeks and it would be easier to talk it through in person." He tried to look casual. "You know." He shrugged again. "Might as well."

Elizabeth laughed. Looking casual was not easy to pull off, and it was almost impossible for a person as honest as Nathan. "Are you going to follow me everywhere for another six months?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

He smiled back at her. "It depends on where you go."

Archie said, "You two go. We'll handle things here. If I need to ask Laura to stay a little later, I will."

"Thanks, Dad," Nathan said.

"And then when we get back," Elizabeth said to Archie, "We'll start working on planning your birthday party."

Archie shook his head, "Oh, now, I don't need you to go to a lot of trouble. At my age, birthdays don't really need to be celebrated."

Elizabeth smiled, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, we're celebrating our new house, and also will be helping Lee get his roof up on the same day. We've been studying barn raisings in school, so we're going to use it as a time for teaching the children, too."

Archie laughed. "That's my kind of birthday," he said, nodding. "I'll be proud to be a part of all that."

Jack had reached the limit of his attention span, and he climbed down Nathan's leg to the floor and ran off toward the kitchen. Allie popped up and went after him.

"Thanks, Allie," Elizabeth called out to her. "I'll be right out. I need to give him his bath before bed."

"I'll put the water on..." Allie yelled from the living room.

Archie looked at Nathan. "I don't know if I've told you son, what a fine job you've done raising that girl. She's smart and funny and has a heart like the whole outdoors."

Nathan smiled. "We learned together, Allie and me," he said. Then he looked at Elizabeth. "But she's thirteen now and if there was ever a time for reinforcements to show up..." He took Elizabeth's hand and brought it up to his lips to kiss it.

Elizabeth smiled, "Speaking of which, I should probably go help Allie with Jack's bath." Elizabeth tried to give Archie and Nathan as much time alone as she could. They had so much to talk about and she knew they were both hungry for it.

Before she could get up, Nathan had already stood and put out his hand. He moved the quilt so it was nowhere underfoot and looked at her expectantly. Elizabeth shook her head and took his hand. She put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him. "You're very sweet, my love, but I'm not an invalid. Save it for when I actually _can't_ get up. That will come soon enough."

Nathan watched her go through the door and into the living room, then he sat back down and smiled across at his father.

Archie chuckled. "I do love watching the two of you. And I remember being the same way with your mom. 'Course she was carrying _twins..."_

Nathan frowned. "When did you know? That there were two of us? Elizabeth talked to Mom and she said it was right when we were born."

"That was it. I was lighting up a cigar and heard someone say, 'There's another one!'" He looked at Nathan and smiled. "That was you." After a moment, he narrowed his eyes at his son. "Why? Does that worry you?"

Nathan shook his head. "I've talked to the doctor in town, and have done some research on my own. The odds are very low." Nathan had a sudden memory of a friend at the Mountie Academy who used to say, "Never tell me the odds..."

Archie took a deep breath and said, "You'll cross that bridge if it comes to it. And it probably won't."

For a moment they sat in silence. There were so many things to talk about, it was hard to know where to begin sometimes.

Finally, Archie said, "I've been wanting to ask you about your mother. Can you talk to me about her, son? I understand if you can't."

Nathan's first instinct, from long practice, was to shut down. But Nathan had been wondering how to bring this up, and Archie had actually just solved a problem for him.

Earlier in the evening, when Nathan had asked Elizabeth about all of his dreams coming true, she'd answered "Dream some more." When he'd thought about that, the first thing that had come to his mind was having his entire family together. The last time Archie had been home, Sarah and Caleb were in Edmonton with Allie. And then Archie had gone to prison.

So there had never been a time that Nathan, Allie, Rebecca and Archie had been in the same place at the same time. For this housewarming, the beginning of this new life, it was Nathan's wish that it finally happen.

Rebecca had already told Elizabeth that she never wanted to be left out of a family gathering because of worries about how she and Archie would be together. Now the only person Nathan needed to talk to was his father.

Nathan smiled and looked across at Archie, ready to answer his question. "Mom's doing very well. She loves the ranch, still spends half her time in the kitchen cooking or in the garden growing things to twice their expected size." Nathan laughed, and Archie laughed with him.

"Woman always did have a green thumb," Archie said softly. He looked back at his son. "Been meaning to ask you how a particular piece of furniture got out by the fireplace."

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "The loveseat?" Nathan smiled, remembering. "Yeah, Mom saw us sitting in it the night before our wedding, and she brought it here as a present to us."

Archie's voice went low. "That was your grandparents' chair. And when I visited your mom, I used to call it our courting chair." Archie sighed. "I sat in it for a time today." He looked up at Nathan. "I know I did some terrible things to you and your mother, but I loved Becky from the first moment I saw her, and never stopped."

Nathan felt the old stories, with their old angers attached, coming up in him again. But then he thought of Elizabeth and what she would say, and he simply let the stories go and they drifted by. He didn't need to be right. _I can't change how it all happened. Maybe he did love her. The man in front of me sure looks like he did._

Nathan's voice was soft too. "We all just do the best we can every minute of the day, Dad."

Archie looked at him for a moment and then said firmly, "You're a _good_ man, Nathan. And an even better one because you did it without a father." He nodded. "I can't tell you how grateful I am that you're giving me a second chance."

Nathan smiled warmly. "And I'm grateful you came to find us when you got out of prison. And that you stayed long enough to show me how much you'd changed."

Archie laughed, "Except you wanted to throw me out of town on my ear more than once..."

"I didn't make it easy on you, that's for sure."

Archie shook his head. "Aww, I would've been surprised if you'd been any different. I deserved it all."

They spoke at exactly the same time.

Nathan said, "Water under the bridge, Dad."

Archie said, "Water over the dam, son."

They looked at each other and laughed. Nathan said, "I'm glad you're here, Dad. Very glad."

Archie nodded, grinning. Then he took a breath and said, "Your mother, she's still at the ranch in Airdrie?"

"Yes."

"And I can see from the pictures that you and Elizabeth were married there. I don't remember ever seeing that spot, with the pergola?" Archie said.

"I built it when I was fourteen." He chuckled, "Sarah watched."

Archie laughed softly. "Sounds about right."

"Well, it's a beautiful spot for a wedding."

"Dad," Nathan said, hesitating. "I'm sorry we didn't... that you couldn't..."

"I thought we decided no apologies, son. I need to earn a place in this family again. A happy occasion like your wedding isn't the place to do that, especially when it's at your _mother's_ ranch."

"It felt complicated." Nathan smiled. "But I wish you had been there."

Archie said, "Thank you for that. And I'm here now." After a pause he said, "Allie was showing me your book of wedding pictures. I see Charlie is still there, at the ranch?"

Nathan nodded, afraid of where this might be going. "Yep. Still the head hand," he said guardedly.

"They look good together," Archie said.

Nathan looked across at his father, searching his face. He waited until Archie said more.

"It's okay, son. They've been good friends from day one on that ranch, and it was never more than friendship. If they've found a comfort in each other after all these years, I can live with that."

Nathan thought he would just jump right in. "How would you feel about seeing them here, for our celebration?"

Archie laughed out loud. "Are you asking if you can invite my former wife to my birthday party, son?"

Nathan grinned. "No, Dad. I'm asking if I can invite my mother to our housewarming."

Nodding, Archie said, "I'll have to admit that sounds much better." He sat forward and said, "Of course you can. As long as she and Charlie are okay with it, so am I."

Archie looked down for a moment and said, "There are a lot of people in this house that your mother and I love, son."

He looked up and smiled at Nathan. "And more on the way."


	66. Chapter 66

The ride to Brookfield was uneventful. At least as uneventful as a journey can be when its destination gives you the one precious gift you've wanted for such a long time.

Lee and Rosemary rode up front in the wagon, and though Elizabeth thought the ride would be filled with nervous chatter, there were actually long stretches of silence. Rosemary was subdued, with her arm through Lee's as he guided the horses. At times she leaned her head on his shoulder and they talked softly.

Elizabeth was on the bench behind them in the back of the wagon, and every once in a while, Rosemary would turn around and smile, or reach out a hand to touch Elizabeth's.

Nathan rode Bear alongside, and he and Elizabeth were able to talk about the party, and Archie, and the children, and all of the details they wanted to finish on the house and the land before the winter. It was a very pleasant trip, though Elizabeth thought it would have been better if Nathan had been in the wagon and she could lean up against him and perhaps steal a kiss or two.

"I miss riding," she said sulkily, watching him on Bear. "You'll need to take Sergeant out on your rounds once in a while so he knows we still love him."

Nathan smiled. "I will. And he'll cope. Actually, Dad was asking if he could ride him, so that might be a good solution if it's okay with you." He looked at Elizabeth. "And thank you for not giving me a fight on that. Though I think it was Carson and Faith who convinced you more than I did."

Elizabeth sighed. "No, I agree with all of you. I don't want to take any chances either," she said, unconsciously putting her hands over her middle. Nathan smiled, wishing right now, just as much as she did, that he was sitting next to her.

Nathan wore his full red serge and hat. Early this morning he'd felt it would be better to keep up the charade that he actually had business in Brookfield with Gabe. He was starting to realize that no one believed him anyway.

Gabe had expressed surprise that Nathan was coming to Brookfield to do something that could easily be accomplished in writing, but once Nathan shared his happy news, Gabe understood. He knew that he would have done the same thing.

The road from Hope Valley to Brookfield was no more or less dangerous than most roads between small towns on the edge of the western frontier. Open wagons and stage coaches routinely broke down or were robbed, and though there were fewer casualties than one might think, they did happen. If Nathan were simply sitting in his office in Hope Valley and something happened to Elizabeth on the road... Well, he didn't even want to think about it. He would have worried the whole time she was gone anyway, so why not just ride along?

And it couldn't hurt to have the appearance that the wagon had a Mountie escort.

The added benefit was getting to see his friends in Brookfield. Not to mention witnessing the joy on Rosemary and Lee's faces when they met the little girl that everyone hoped would become their daughter.

Nathan had offered to meet Gabe in town, but the Brookfield constable said he would meet them all out at the orphanage. It only took Nathan a moment to remember the looks he'd seen pass between Gabe and Lillian the last time he was in Brookfield.

Smiling, Nathan recalled just a few hundred times he might have gone out to meet Allie at the schoolhouse when it wasn't necessary, so he could understand Gabe's motivation.

Elizabeth was glad that Constable Gabriel Kinslow would be present when the baby girl was put into the arms of her new loving foster parents. It was up to Gabe to investigate the child's abandonment. He'd been called immediately when the orphanage's cook, Eleanor, had answered the knock on the door, so he'd seen the shivering child firsthand. Elizabeth thought it wouldn't be a bad thing for him to also see the love the little girl would receive in her new home.

Usually Elizabeth would say that a child should be with their natural mother if at all possible. But she simply couldn't understand how someone could leave a child in the cold on a doorstep. She hoped she would never feel that desperate, that lost, and that completely without alternatives.

But what it also said to her was that the mother, whatever her circumstances, felt unable to care for her child. As a mother herself, Elizabeth couldn't imagine what despair it would take to not only plan this, but then to walk away.

It was one of those situations where Elizabeth hoped and prayed there could be a happy ending.

They rounded the corner and the house came into view. Its wrap-around porch and the way it was situated in a meadow and backed up by a thick stand of trees, reminded Elizabeth a little of their own home. But unlike their home on the pond, the orphanage was two stories, and very large.

In the distance, they could see that Lillian, Grace and Eleanor were on the porch, having heard the wagon approaching. Gabe was standing just below them with his horse, his red serge acting as a beacon drawing them in.

Nathan looked at Elizabeth and said, "I'll ride on ahead and say hello," and Elizabeth put two fingers to her lips and blew him a small kiss. He grinned at her and did the same before he touched Bear's flanks and took off across the meadow.

Rosemary, as always, saw everything between Nathan and Elizabeth. She shook her head, smiling affectionately. "You two..." Then she threaded her arm back through Lee's and kissed him on the cheek.

"What did I do to deserve that?" Lee said, looking at her.

"You took the day off work and drove the wagon and..." Rosemary couldn't contain herself any longer, "...I'm so _happy!"_

Elizabeth reached forward and took her hand. "We're just about to see your little girl," Elizabeth said. "Your Violet."

Rosemary took a deep breath. "Lee, can we go any _faster?"_

"No-o-o-o," Lee said laughing. "We're almost there, sweetheart."

Elizabeth squinted into the mid-morning sun as they got closer. "Rosemary?"

Turning, Rosemary said, "What?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows playfully. "Is Lillian... _holding_ someone?"

She was. And as they moved ever closer, they could see a sweet face with bright eyes and a shock of light brown hair. The little girl was looking at Bear, who Nathan had tied loosely to the rail in front of the porch, right next to Gabe's horse. The two Mounties were on either side of Lillian, and Violet was alternating looking back and forth at them.

Lee laughed. "The red serge claims another female's heart," he said, shaking his head. "Honestly, how do the rest of us even stand a chance?"

Finally, after what seemed an eternity to Rosemary, Lee pulled up to the side of the house. Rosemary jumped out faster than Elizabeth had ever seen her exit a wagon. Lee helped Elizabeth down carefully, and she again needed to remember to be gracious and accept that everyone thought she was in a delicate condition, no matter how energetic she felt.

Lillian walked out to Rosemary. She smiled so genuinely and spoke so kindly, that Rosemary felt tears beginning. "We're very grateful, Rosemary. Thank you for doing this."

When Rosemary looked from Lillian and into the eyes of the sweetest face she'd ever seen, the tears began to fall.

Everything stopped. There was no conversation on the porch, or here just beyond the steps where Lillian and Rosemary stood. Even Elizabeth and Lee stayed back a little, giving them space.

"Violet," Rosemary whispered, reaching up slowly to gently touch her cheek. The little girl gazed at her with wise eyes, blinking impossibly long lashes.

Lillian smiled. "That's a lovely name." She put her hands around Violet's little waist and held her out for Rosemary. "You want to hold her?"

"Oh... yes..." Rosemary said softly.

And everyone present for this moment witnessed how a person falls in love.

Instantly, utterly, irrevocably.

Lee gave them as long as he could, but he couldn't wait any longer. He came up behind Rosemary cautiously, not wanting to overwhelm the little girl with new faces. "Hello, Violet," he said quietly, putting a finger out slowly to touch her soft shoulder. She looked back and forth between them and gradually, responding to the joyous smiles on their faces, Violet smiled back.

Elizabeth was still behind them and she was the only other person to see it. She responded to that smile by putting her hands up over her mouth to stifle the intake of breath she couldn't control. How many times at this age had she prompted Jack to smile at people and gotten nothing but the wise old soul stare out of him? How many times had he simply burst out crying when someone new tried to hold him? Elizabeth had been ready to comfort Rosemary if anything like that had happened, but it was clear this little girl had no intention of ruining the moment.

_Thank you, Violet,_ Elizabeth thought, _for making this so easy._

Then the moment broke, and Lee and Rosemary laughed softly. Elizabeth and Nathan walked to each other and he put his arm around her protectively. As they gazed at the new family, it wasn't hard to guess what they were thinking about.

Lillian stepped forward again and said, "Come inside. Eleanor has fixed lunch for us."

For the three or so hours they spent at the orphanage, Violet never left someone's arms. Even when she slept, Rosemary held her, sitting in the rocking chair across from Elizabeth.

"You look so beautiful, Rosemary," Elizabeth said quietly. She smiled. "This is a very good look on you."

Rosemary sighed. "She's different from Jack," she said softly. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but even when he sleeps, Jack has a kind of energy to him. Violet is... serene."

Elizabeth smiled. "And she's yours."

Rosemary nodded. "For now." She reached out and took Elizabeth's hand. "I've got that little piece of my heart set aside, Elizabeth. That was very good advice."

Lee came up behind Rosemary and whispered, "Sweetheart, there are some papers we need to sign. Do you want Elizabeth to hold Violet while we do that?"

Rosemary smiled and held up her right hand, saying softly, "I can do two things at once."

Elizabeth nodded and raised her eyebrows. "Get used to that, Rosemary," she said, laughing.

Lee and Rosemary walked over to the table to Lillian, and Elizabeth had a chance to look around the room. This was her first time in Brookfield, though Nathan had been here a number of times to help Gabriel. In fact, she could see the two of them right now at the round table in the corner with their heads together, making notes.

They'd all had a delicious lunch with the children, and Elizabeth was so impressed with Lillian and Grace. She'd seen them in Hope Valley, but here in their home, they were more confident, more sure of themselves.

The children were wonderful to be with, and again, Elizabeth was reminded about how many types of families there were. Of course it would be ideal for these children to find families of their own, but until they did, they were loved and cared for – and also, Elizabeth could see, they were being very well taught.

Grace came over and flopped down on the sofa next to her. Her exuberance always made Elizabeth smile. Turning to her, Elizabeth said, "This is such a good home you're giving these children."

Grace nodded. "And they make it so good for us." She sighed. "It's strange that we love them so much and our goal is to send them away. Find them homes." She whispered softly, "I've grown a little attached to Violet. Rosemary says I can visit whenever I want."

"We'd all love to have you, Grace. Any time," Elizabeth said.

"It might be sooner than you think, actually. Chuck..." Grace paused. "...I don't think you've met him. His family owns a ranch here, and he says that Nathan is buying a cow from them."

Elizabeth tried to stifle the smile that was threatening. "Really?" she said casually.

Grace moved closer. "Chuck and I are a little sweet on each other," she said softly. "And he asked if I wanted to come with him when he brought her over to Hope Valley. Chuck said you're giving a party? Nathan invited us because he wants to surprise... you... oh..." Grace clapped her hands over her mouth.

Elizabeth laughed. "It's okay. We've talked a lot about it. It's not really a surprise, Grace." Elizabeth looked over at Nathan, her eyes soft. "But it's still very sweet of him."

Grace made a face. "So, I guess I'll see you Saturday? I hope I didn't ruin it," Grace said.

"Not at all. And we'll love seeing you. And I'll get to meet Chuck." Elizabeth moved closer and whispered, "And the cow."

Lillian was gesturing to Grace, so she took Elizabeth's hand and said, "By the way, congratulations! We're all so happy for you and Nathan. He's been such a help to us." Then she was off.

Elizabeth wasn't alone for long. While she was watching Grace, Nathan came and sat down beside her.

"Done with your business?" she asked, taking his hand and moving closer to him.

"What I came here for took about five minutes," he said, smiling.

Elizabeth squeezed his hand. "It was very sweet of you to come with us. I must admit I'm very glad you're here," she said, smiling up at him. "And you and Gabe were there for a lot longer than five minutes."

Nodding, Nathan said, "We were talking about Violet."

Frowning, Elizabeth said, "How do you investigate something like this?"

Nathan shrugged. "You examine what you have first, the blanket she was wrapped in, her clothes and how expensive or clean they were, the basket. Then you go a little wider trying to find out if any of the folks living outside of town have young daughters, if there were any expecting women, that sort of thing."

Elizabeth sighed. "And how long and how hard will Gabe try?" she asked softly.

Nathan was quiet for a moment, and then he said, "Long enough to satisfy his conscience," he said. "It's one of the difficult parts of being a Mountie. Sometimes the investigation doesn't bring you the outcome you want. In those times, you have to fall back on what the law says."

Elizabeth said very softly, "And the law says that Violet belongs to her mother."

Nathan took a deep breath. "You're making assumptions, Elizabeth." He smiled at her. "You're a better detective than that."

Elizabeth frowned up at him, thinking. _What assumption did I just make? Oh. Not necessarily a mother._

"It could be her _father_ who left her there?"

"We're not ruling it out. There are some indications." He saw her look. "And no, I can't share all this with you." He laughed softly. "I've already told you more than I should have." Pulling her closer, he said, "And I only feel comfortable telling you this because I know you won't share any of it with anyone."

"Of course not. It's not my..."

"...story to tell," Nathan interrupted her softly, remembering. "I was in love with you already when you said that to me, but after you did I felt like I'd fallen off a cliff. I couldn't believe someone like you existed." He turned and kissed her, quickly. "I still can't."

Elizabeth held him tighter and looked around the room to see if anyone was aware that they were snuggling on the sofa. Lee and Rosemary were at the table with Lillian and Grace. Rosemary absentmindedly touched her cheek to Violet's downy soft hair, an activity that both Nathan and Elizabeth knew was one of life's greatest pleasures. The children were in the kitchen with Eleanor, baking something that smelled delicious. Gabe continued to go through his notes.

Elizabeth sighed against Nathan's shoulder. "Violet is a pretty name, don't you think?"

Nathan looked down at her, knowing that she seldom brought up new subjects without a degree of thought. "It is," he said, smiling.

She looked up at him. "You want to hear my choices?"

"Very much," he said softly.

"Nathan Archibald for a boy, Rebecca Julia for a girl."

Nathan smiled. "Those are very good names, but they're pretty heavily weighted toward the Grant family, don't you think?"

She raised an eyebrow. "We'll give the next one a Thatcher name."

She felt Nathan's chest rise and fall quickly. "I'm going to hold you to that, Elizabeth," he whispered.


	67. Chapter 67

Elizabeth and Nathan sat on the front bench of the wagon while Nathan held the reins. They had finally given in to their desire to be together and Bear was happily walking along behind, kept in line by a generous length of rope.

Lee and Rosemary were in the far back of the wagon facing forward. They were comfortably wedged between the crib, the carriage, and a box with baby quilts, bedding and toys.

Lee had his arm around Rosemary, and on her lap, Violet was obviously being extremely entertaining. She was alternating her gaze to each of them, to Bear just behind them, and the countryside that moved slowly by. Elizabeth had turned and looked at the three of them, and it was such a lovely sight that she found she was unable to look away.

As far as she could see, Violet was doing little more than simply breathing and soaking up the love she was feeling from her new parents. But to look at Lee and Rosemary's faces, the child was fascinating. A hiccup was a miracle. Her little fist was a masterpiece. Elizabeth knew all too well how thoroughly engrossing it could be to watch a six-month-old baby. Especially if that baby is yours.

Elizabeth had seen Rosemary and Lee so often with Jack in much this same position, but this was as different as night and day. It may have been because Violet was a baby girl with one of the calmest, sweetest dispositions Elizabeth had ever encountered, but she knew it also went much deeper than that. It couldn't be defined, so Elizabeth didn't even try.

"Where's Carson with his camera?" Elizabeth said softly.

Rosemary looked up and said, "I know! I was just saying to Lee that we should ask him to come to the house and take a few pictures."

Lee laughed. "A few." He looked up at Elizabeth with pure joy on his face. "How many do you think _a few_ will turn out to be?"

Rosemary put her face down by Violet's and said, "Maybe a hundred? What do you think, sweetie? Will that be enough?" She kissed her soft cheek and couldn't pull away. "Oh, her _skin,"_ she said rapturously. "Did we _ever_ have skin like that?"

Violet obviously gave Rosemary another smile, because both she and Lee reacted. "You like that, Violet? You like Mommy's kisses?" Lee asked brightly.

Lee and Rosemary had talked frankly to Lillian about what they should call themselves, and Lillian had given a very straightforward answer.

"It will be natural for her to identify you as her mother and father, as her primary caregivers," Lillian said. "And although we can't _promise_ you'll have her forever... _yet._.. it's best to go on that assumption rather than creating distance between you right from the start."

Elizabeth and Nathan had been present for that conversation and they wished they'd heard it earlier. Jack had made his own decision, despite what they'd thought would be best for him. Nathan was Dad, and that was that. They knew it would be the same for Violet.

Elizabeth was now completely turned around on the bench, facing toward the back. She curled her arm through Nathan's and moved closer.

"What am I missing?" Nathan said.

"They can't take their eyes off of her," Elizabeth whispered. "And I think the feeling is mutual." She leaned on his shoulder, grasping his arm tightly. "It was very nice of you to drive so they could be together."

He moved the three or so inches it took to kiss her. "And it's _such_ a hardship," he said softly.

"Oh, for me too..." she said. She looked at him and took a breath.

"Nathan," Elizabeth said. "I have something to tell you. I really can't keep secrets from you, although _you_ seem to be pretty good at it."

He raised his eyebrows. "When have I ever kept a secret from you?"

"Two that come to mind right away," she said, forcing herself to look serious.

He frowned. "Just so you know? This is another one of the Elizabeth voices. The stern voice." He looked sideways at her. "I don't think I like this one as well as the others, because it usually means I've done something that has displeased you."

She laughed. "I suppose I'll get these out of you one by one. So the teacher voice and the stern voice. Got it." She narrowed her eyes. "You remember when you surprised me at the pond? When I was reading your letter and you told me to look up, and there you were?"

Nathan smiled. "But that was a _good_ secret, right?"

She smiled, unable to keep up the pretense. "Yes, that was a very good secret." She sighed.

"What's the second one?" he said.

"Well, I would have liked this surprise, but now that I know about it, I would have to _pretend_ to be surprised, and we both know I'm as bad at pretending as you are..." Elizabeth trailed off, and looked up at him.

Realization dawned on him immediately. "Grace told you." At Elizabeth's sheepish nod, he laughed softly. "If you'd told me this before we left Brookfield, we could have had Bear _and_ Lizzie trailing behind us. It would have saved Chuck and Grace the trip."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "I didn't tell you because I'm fairly certain they don't _want_ you to save them a trip."

Nathan nodded, "Aha." He looked to the back of the wagon and then stole another kiss from Elizabeth. "Love seems to be in the air, doesn't it?"

"It does," she said happily, turning around and facing forward again. Lee and Rosemary had gone back into their bubble, and it was clear that very little existed outside of it.

They sat for a moment in silence, and then Elizabeth said, "You didn't get to finish telling me about your conversation with Archie last night."

"It was good." Nathan nodded. "I get the feeling that the more we talk about things, the better we'll be," he said. "We've always cut each other off in conversations, and I've learned something from you. I don't have to be right all the time."

"That's a lesson I've had to learn, too. Letting go can make all the difference." She smiled over at him. "Difficult as it may be for you to believe, I can be a little hardheaded myself sometimes."

Nathan looked cautiously at her. "There is no good response that I can make right now. So I'm not making one."

Elizabeth laughed. "See how much you've learned?" She squeezed his arm. "Did you talk to him about Rebecca and Charlie?"

"I did," Nathan said, nodding. "He actually made it very easy for me. I guess Allie was showing him our wedding pictures and he saw one of Mom and Charlie. The one with Charlie's arm around her?"

Elizabeth's eyebrows went up. "What did he say?"

"He said they looked good together. Then he just looked at me."

Elizabeth smiled, nodding. "And you just looked back at him," she said. "I can _see_ it!" Laughing, she said, "Who broke the standoff?"

Nathan exhaled. "He did. And he said he was okay with it. So I just asked him if he would mind if they were all at our celebration together." Nathan looked over at her. "He said he was."

"Very nicely done," Elizabeth said.

"And Mom wrote saying the Post Office in Airdrie finally got a telephone line, so I'll get a message to them that I'd like to talk to her when they go for the mail tomorrow."

Elizabeth looked over at him. "So... I'm assuming Rebecca is not going to stay across the hall from Archie while Charlie sleeps at the livery?"

Nathan looked at her quickly and frowned. "Oh. Hadn't quite gotten there yet."

Elizabeth smiled. "Well, you'd better get there, because we're going to have a full house this weekend."

Nathan shook his head. "That happened fast, didn't it? Do we need to add on already?"

"That, or put Archie in Allie's treehouse," Elizabeth said, laughing. "No, I think your mom would be happy at the saloon for a couple of nights, and she'll be closer to Charlie that way. According to Julie, Lucas has fixed up the rooms upstairs beautifully. They're very respectable."

"Speaking of Julie and Lucas, you probably haven't had a chance to talk to her yet, have you? I'm assuming we would have heard this morning if they'd burned down the Gazette," he said with a smile.

"No, I haven't," Elizabeth said. "I'm hoping to catch her at home when we drop off Rosemary and Lee... _and_ Violet," she said, smiling.

They were just rounding the corner to pull into Hope Valley. Elizabeth looked back and the Coulter family was still in its own little world. "We're here," she said softly, and Rosemary looked up.

"Oh, that was _such_ a fast trip!" Rosemary said.

Just then, Rosemary looked out in front of Abigail's and there was Bill. He had the door open and called inside, "They're here!" One by one they came out. Jesse ran to the saloon and did the same, and Lucas walked out to the boardwalk, followed closely by Julie, Gustav, Henry and Hickam. Clara stepped out of the dress shop and Ned and Fiona from the Mercantile.

"Oh, my..." Rosemary said, with tears in her eyes. Rather than take the wagon up to the row houses as he was planning to do, Nathan pulled it over in front of Abigail's.

_Never underestimate the power of Florence Blakely_, Elizabeth thought. Sure enough, there were Molly and Florence stepping out of the Infirmary, along with Carson and Faith.

Lee jumped down from the wagon and Rosemary tenderly handed Violet to him. Nathan helped Rosemary down, and then Elizabeth, and they all walked toward the gathering crowd.

Elizabeth whispered to Nathan, "We'll find out what this little girl is made of. A long wagon ride after a lot of excitement, and now this?"

She needn't have worried. From Lee's arms, then Rosemary's, Violet proved she was truly Rosemary's daughter. Assemble a crowd, and Violet performed. She smiled and fluttered her eyelashes, grabbed fingers, and made happy gurgling sounds that had everyone pronouncing her the smartest, most beautiful and advanced little girl they'd ever seen.

"Jack has some serious competition," Nathan said, laughing.

Just as he said it, Nathan could see Archie walking with Allie and Jack toward town. Fiona came up and said, "I called them to let them know you were back."

Jack ran to Elizabeth and she pulled him up into her arms. He was getting heavy, and Elizabeth wondered how long she'd be able to carry him. And as if she'd said it out loud, Nathan was there. He got Jack's attention and then pulled him up onto his shoulders, while wearing the red serge, no less. Jack was in heaven.

Allie went straight to the crowd around Rosemary so she could see Violet. Emily and Hattie were there too, and Elizabeth smiled, knowing that there would be no scarcity of babysitters for Rosemary to call on.

Archie stood next to his son and held Jack's little hand from up on Nathan's shoulders. For a moment, Elizabeth looked fondly at three generations of men she loved, so grateful that Jack would grow up with a father _and_ a grandfather.

"Julie!" Elizabeth called, and her sister turned. She moved through the crowd to her.

"That little girl is absolutely precious," Julie said. "But I keep wanted to call her Viola instead of Violet!"

"I almost did the same thing," Elizabeth said, hugging her. "I wanted to find out about last night, but we left early this morning," she said, taking Julie's arm and moving her over to the bench in front of the saloon.

"I have _so_ much to tell you, sister. I don't even know where to start!" Julie said, making sure Lucas was engaged elsewhere. She saw him talking with Henry over by Abigail's.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Start at the beginning." Then she laughed, "Actually, Nathan thought the Gazette was on fire last night and we looked in the window and saw the two of you at dinner. So start from there."

Julie lifted her chin. "We're business partners, he kissed me, and we're coming together to your party on Saturday. But I didn't have to ask him. This time he asked me."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "That's a lot of information to take in. You're a partner in the saloon?"

Julie laughed. "Not exactly. Lucas bought the Gazette building because they're moving to a larger space. We're going to turn it into a fine dining restaurant and he wants me to run it. Complete autonomy, no interference." Julie tilted her head. "What do you think about the name _Le Bistro?_ I want to paint the inside a kind of washed-out yellow, like those wonderful French restaurants on the Rue de Marseille, and Gustav has a whole menu ready..."

"Julie." Elizabeth said, her head spinning, "This is clearly more than you can explain in just a few minutes. Can you come for dinner tomorrow?"

"Both of us?" Julie said, her eyes bright.

Elizabeth said carefully, "Let's start with just you. Have you signed anything yet?"

"No," Julie said. "We haven't ironed out all the details. He's having his lawyer draw up the papers and then we'll talk." She saw the worried look on Elizabeth's face and said, "I know this is a lot to try to understand, but we've been heading in this direction ever since I came to Hope Valley." She smiled softly. "In all areas."

Elizabeth finally smiled. "He kissed you?"

Julie sighed. "He did. And it was lovely," Julie said.

Elizabeth hugged her tightly. "Come early tomorrow. I want to hear it all."

Nathan made sure that Lee had help with the crib and that he could drive the wagon up to his row house. "No problem, Nathan," he said. "Jesse and Hickam have already offered." He started to shake Nathan's hand and then impulsively drew him into a hug. "Thanks for everything."

It was the first time Nathan had seen Lee close to tears. Violet had already worked her magic on him. Nathan smiled and said, "I remember Allie at that age, Lee." He looked over at her, now so tall and grown up. Looking back at Lee, he said, "It goes by fast. Treasure every moment."

"I plan to," Lee said.

Both men stood for a moment, thinking of their girls.

Lee cleared his throat loudly. "Looking forward to getting that roof up on Saturday," he said, breaking the moment before they both embarrassed themselves.

"You bet," Nathan said, slapping him on the back. He nodded and walked over to the wagon to untie Bear. He pulled himself up into the saddle and rode over to where Archie was standing and holding Jack's hand. "Want to go for a ride, cowboy?" he called down to him.

Jack put his hands up excitedly and said, "Horsey ride!" and then proceeded to melt Nathan's heart again by adding, "Dad!" Archie handed him up and Nathan set him in the saddle in front of him. It was starting to get dark and they hadn't had dinner yet. It was time to go home.

Elizabeth was hugging Rosemary, and she bent down to give Violet a kiss on the cheek. As she did, the little girl put her tiny hand on Elizabeth's face.

"Awww," Rosemary said softly. She raised her eyebrows and said to Elizabeth, "Something tells me you wouldn't mind having a little girl of your own."

Elizabeth looked up at Nathan, sitting so tall in the saddle, and Jack, imitating him, proud to be riding with his Mountie in the red serge.

She smiled and said to Rosemary, "A girl would be nice, with all these men in the house." She put her arm around Allie next to her. "Wouldn't it?"

"Definitely," said Allie.

"I'll come see you tomorrow, Rosemary." She hugged her again, warmly. "Call me tonight if you need me and I'll come right down, okay? I'm so happy for you. She's just beautiful."

"Thank you, Elizabeth," Rosemary said. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Elizabeth smiled. "I think I've said that to you before. And do you know what you said back to me?"

Tears in her eyes, Rosemary said, "What?"

"You'll never have to find out."


	68. Chapter 68

Julie sighed with her head leaned up against the window. She was finishing a cup of tea while Elizabeth began the process of preparing food for the weekend. The house smelled deliciously of the sourdough bread baked from Rebecca's recipe.

Elizabeth grinned and looked over at her sister and said, "Are you watching my husband, Julie?"

Exhaling, Julie said, "Rest assured that Nathan isn't at all my type, sister, but a woman can have an appreciation of the sight of a man chopping wood no matter who he is."

Elizabeth picked up her teacup and walked around to join Julie at the window. For a moment, they both stood and watched silently.

"I will admit I've stood at this window before," Elizabeth said, her voice soft and a slight blush coming to her cheeks.

Nathan was preparing for the upcoming weekend as well, knowing the stoves would need constant filling. There was a crispness in the air that said snow was coming, and the flat gray of the sky told the same story. _Snow sky_ is what Elizabeth called it, and it had a very particular look to it. She hoped that it wouldn't fall before the roof was in place on Rosemary and Lee's house.

Nathan took another piece of wood and placed it on the block. There was that moment when it was perfectly placed, and he would pause, measuring the distance with his eyes. Then he would raise the axe over his head and bring it down powerfully and perfectly at the center. The two pieces of wood would fall neatly to the sides with the axe embedded in the block.

Elizabeth took another sip of her tea and felt a light shiver go down her spine at the thought that this man was actually hers. He was so beautiful to her, in the best sense of the word. Strapping, yes. Strong, muscular, but beautiful in the economy of his motion, the precision of his process from long practice, his hair blowing uncombed in the wind, the stroke of the axe hitting its target as his jaw tightened and then relaxed...

"Elizabeth? Did you hear a word I said?" Julie laughed and waved her fingers in front of her sister's eyes.

"Sorry?" Elizabeth said, her eyes refocusing on Julie.

"I have to remember how completely in love you are with that man," she said, threading her arm through Elizabeth's.

Elizabeth laughed as well, blushing a deeper shade of pink. "I am," she said, sipping her tea to cover her obvious discomposure. She took a deep breath and went back to the kitchen. She could watch Nathan all day, but she knew from experience that nothing would get done while she did.

Looking over at her sister, Elizabeth said, "I'm not unhappy that Nathan isn't your type, but in what way exactly?"

Julie took a sip of her tea. "Much too rugged and economical with his words. And though I do see how he can be charming in his own way, I need someone who recites poetry," Julie said with a flourish of her hand.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I keep telling you, Julie, still waters run deep. Nathan is most definitely a poet."

"I'll just have to take your word for it," Julie said. "And enough talk about _your_ perfect life. Now it's time to talk about _mine!"_ Julie raised her eyebrows and came back into the kitchen. "Okay, what can I help with? Something I can't ruin."

Elizabeth pointed to the large basket filled with potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions and garlic; one of the last big harvests she would take from the vegetable garden. "Those need to be prepared for the stew, you can start with the potatoes and carrots, if you don't mind."

Julie smiled and put on an apron. "Peeling potatoes, how very glamorous!"

"If you're going to run a restaurant, it's never a bad thing to start at the bottom," Elizabeth said, handing her the paring knife. "And how is that going?"

"To be honest, the hardest part so far was our meeting with Bill Avery. We had to convince him that Le Bistro will be something completely different. We're trying to see how we can all work together and not be in competition. You know, so that we can each have our own niche?"

Elizabeth frowned, "I don't see that the kind of fine dining you're talking about would cut into Bill's business." Elizabeth smiled suddenly. "I know you remember my first date with Jack, when you all cleared the tables away at Abigail's so we could dance? It would have been nice to have had the Bistro then."

"Exactly!" Julie said.

"How did you leave it with Bill?" Elizabeth said, taking another loaf of bread out of the oven.

"He's skeptical, but supportive," Julie said.

Elizabeth laughed. "That pretty much sums Bill up."

The back door opened and Nathan came in. "That should keep us for a while," he said, wiping his hands on a towel. He walked straight to Elizabeth and put his arms around her. He kissed her tenderly, not willing to let her go. "Mmmm. It smells good in here."

Elizabeth gazed up at him. "Nothing like fresh baked bread. Are you hungry?"

"Yes. Very," he said, finally releasing her and moving toward the sunroom. "But I have to call Mom in a few minutes. She and Charlie will be at the Post Office in Airdrie soon. I don't suppose I could ask one of you lovely ladies to make me a sandwich?"

Elizabeth smiled at Julie and said softly, "See how charming he can be? Especially when he's hungry." Then she called out to Nathan, "Ask her about the beef for the stew, please."

"I will," he said, his voice coming from far down the hall.

Julie smiled. "I will admit he's charming in a _rugged_ way. Perfect for you, sister."

Elizabeth laughed softly. "And how would Lucas ask for a sandwich?"

"By quoting Shakespeare, most likely," Julie said, raising an eyebrow.

Elizabeth looked over at her. "And, how is it going with Lucas, now that you've had that first kiss? It must be different."

Julie sighed. "Isn't it curious how even the simplest things can have double meanings once you get past that point?" She dropped a peeled potato into the large bowl of water on the counter. "We were talking about appetizers, and suddenly my cheeks went red and I couldn't think!"

Elizabeth laughed. "Those must have been _some_ appetizers."

"Oysters, I think. We were talking about how it might be more than Hope Valley is ready for. Raw oysters..." Julie sighed again.

Elizabeth leaned forward to catch Julie's eyes. "That knife is sharp, Julie. Try to stay in this world, okay?" Smiling, Elizabeth said, "It's a wonder you two get any work done."

"He wants me to go with him to Europe. To go back to Paris, and to stop off in London and see Viola and Lionel."

"And who runs both of your businesses while you're gone?" Elizabeth said, chiding her gently.

"Oh, sister. You're always so practical. We're just _dreaming_ about it. We're not getting on a boat tomorrow," Julie said.

Elizabeth put her arm around Julie and hugged her. "I'm glad you've found someone to dream with." She smiled. "And I like the two of you together. You fit, somehow. I just want to be sure he's as serious as you are. It's not easy to tell with Lucas. How much is charm and how much is real?"

Julie looked at Elizabeth. "Oh, he's _real,_ Elizabeth. You know how you tell me things about Nathan that I don't see? Lucas shows me a side that he doesn't show to anyone else. He seems very confident and sure of himself, but there's a little boy under there. I'm just starting to find out about his very complicated relationship with his mother. She's extremely intelligent, respected, and really ahead of her time as a female book editor. That's been daunting for a child to live up to, you know? I get the sense he's still trying to prove himself to her."

Elizabeth nodded, "I can imagine. It makes me think of how successful Father is in business. I often wonder if Mother and Father had a son instead of just us girls, what that would be like for a boy to grow up in his shadow. I saw a little of it with Jack, dealing with Father."

Julie turned to her sister. "Elizabeth, we haven't talked about this. How do you feel about having this life so separate from Mother and Father? You must have known that they would never travel to a place like Airdrie for your wedding. And they've never even met Nathan. They only saw little Jack that one time when you brought him to Hamilton."

Elizabeth sighed. "It goes both ways, Julie. I write to Mother, send her photos, and tell her everything that's going on, and then she writes me back and tells me all the parties and luncheons and balls she's going to." Elizabeth finished making Nathan's sandwich and began sifting the flour for the next batch of bread. "Would she even understand what we're doing in this kitchen right now?"

"I can just hear her. Don't you have _people_ who peel potatoes for you?" Laughing softly, Julie said, "And her answer when I said I was thinking of investing in the restaurant was that if I needed money she would send me some." Julie nodded. "She doesn't understand that I might want to do it for the satisfaction, the challenge, the... _creativity _of it." Reaching over and touching Elizabeth's waist, Julie said, "And what about this baby? Will they be a part of this?"

Elizabeth raised her chin. "Only if they're nice and respectful of Nathan. They weren't with Jack, you know."

Julie laughed. "Or with Tom. I remember. I wonder how they'll react to my relationship with a saloon owner."

Laughing too, Elizabeth said, "Please let me be there when you tell them. It will make me feel less like the black sheep of the family."

Julie gave her a little push. "Thanks a lot!"

Nathan was finished with his telephone call and he came up behind Elizabeth. Putting his arms around her, he kissed her neck and said, "How anyone could think you're the black sheep of anything is beyond me." He put his sandwich on a plate and whispered, "Thank you, angel," as he walked around to the harvest table.

Julie raised her eyebrow. "Elizabeth was almost always good, but no one can be good _all_ the time. She had her moments."

Nathan took a large bite out of his sandwich and smiled at Julie, raising an eyebrow. "We may need to talk."

The back door opened and Archie came in with Allie and Jack. Allie was triumphant. "We got _lots _of eggs. Jack is really good at getting them out from under the chickens."

Elizabeth looked over at Nathan with a worried face. "And the chickens don't make a fuss?" she asked Allie. "I don't want them scratching him."

Archie said, "He talks to them while he does it. He says, _'tick tick tick_.' We think he's trying to say _chick_, but it seems to soothe them."

Jack looked up at his grandfather and smiled. He said, "Tick, tick, tick," and Archie reached down and picked him up. "You're a good little farmer, Jack my boy," Archie said, nodding.

"And starting next week, we'll have cow's milk. And _then,"_ Elizabeth said to Allie, "We'll learn how to make butter and cheese."

Julie leaned over to Elizabeth and said, "Le Bistro might buy some of that from you, if you're willing."

Elizabeth looked at Allie. "What do you say, you want to make some extra money? You could learn how, then sell it to Julie's restaurant?"

Allie nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely!"

Nathan looked at his father. "Well, Dad, looks like the Grant farm will soon be self-supporting. You and I can just sit around and eat up the profits."

Archie laughed. "Somehow, I think there will always be enough to do around here, son." He kissed Jack and put him down in the chair. "Speaking of which, I thought I'd take Sergeant out for a ride. Am I needed here?"

Allie's eyes lit up. "You want company? I haven't ridden Sarah yet today."

Archie put his arm around her. "I would _love_ it."

Allie looked at Nathan and Elizabeth. Nathan said, "Fine with me," and Elizabeth said, "Homework?"

"All done," Allie said.

"Then off you go," she said, smiling. "But be back for dinner, you two. Six-thirty."

Julie smiled as they left. "Archie is so good with her. I don't really even remember our grandparents. Do you?"

"Not very well. Father's mother died before you were born, and his father was a bit of a broken man after that. Mother's parents were very severe, as I remember. I don't think they liked children very much. We were mostly paraded out in fancy dresses and asked to curtsy and then we went off to another room. I remember he smoked a pipe and I didn't like the smell."

Nathan finished his sandwich, and then turned to watch Archie and Allie outside as they headed to the barn. He exhaled softly. "I almost kept that from happening," he said, looking over at Elizabeth and Julie. "I thought I was protecting her from being hurt, and look at them. He's such an important part of her life now." He shook his head.

Elizabeth looked back at him with soft eyes. "But you _didn't_ stop it from happening. And the happiness of our family has multiplied."

"It has," Nathan said, smiling back at her.

Jack had crawled down from his chair and was looking out the window, watching as Allie and Archie walked to the barn. When they disappeared inside, he reached over and took a handful of Nathan's shirt in his fist. "Dad. Horsey," he said, gazing up into Nathan's eyes, frowning a little.

Nathan picked him up and put him on his lap so they could look out at the barn together. Jack pointed, and looked back at Nathan. Jack repeated, "Horsey. Dad," and he crawled down and took hold of Nathan's suspender and pulled.

Nathan laughed and picked up his plate in one hand and lifted Jack into his other arm. He raised his eyebrows at Elizabeth, and she said, laughing, "Go."

He kissed her and hurried out the door to catch up with Allie and Archie.

Julie had simply stood and watched how this family blended together so sweetly. There was a reason she found herself so often out at Elizabeth and Nathan's house.

Elizabeth looked at her and tilted her head in a question.

Julie said softly, "Just wondering what it would have been like to grow up in a house like this with all of you."

Elizabeth put her arms around her little sister. "I think the good news is that we always have the chance to grow up again, wherever we are. This is a second chance for me, Julie. It can be for you too."


	69. Chapter 69

If there hadn't already been a road out to the Grant farm, it would have been created today. From the time Chester the rooster woke the family, there were feet, wagon wheels, horses hooves, car wheels and every other possible conveyance bringing people out to the meadow.

Except that on this day, a fork in the road was naturally set at the point where it made sense to turn right and head out to the Coulter's. Just after dawn, the building materials necessary for their roof took that turn, while food, chairs, well-wishers, helpers, and cooks turned to the left throughout the day.

Snow was definitely on the horizon, and though there was no sun to rise behind the gray of the sky, as soon as the glow of daylight took hold, the workers started arriving as well, with Lee, Hickam, Kevin and Jesse in the lead. Everyone knew it would be a race against time to get the interior of the Coulter house covered before the snow fell.

The smells of freshly brewed coffee, sweet rolls from Abigail's, Gustav's buttery and flaky croissants, savory scrambled eggs from the Grants' chickens, bacon, sausage and pancakes began to waft from Nathan and Elizabeth's house early. As the enticing aromas traveled next door, a path began to appear between the two homes as the workers took their turns for breakfast.

From the perspective of the golden eagles flying lazy circles in the sky over the treetops, it must have looked much like industrious ants moving back and forth from town to house, and from home to home.

Elizabeth was very grateful that her time of morning sickness had finally passed, as she was firmly ensconced in her large farm kitchen with Julie on one side and Rebecca on the other, managing the flow of food, drink, chairs, tables and guests with the efficiency of a major general and her lieutenants.

Rebecca and Charlie had arrived the evening before on the train, and they'd all had a surprisingly easy and congenial dinner around the harvest table. A collective breath was released when Charlie stepped forward to shake Archie's hand, saying simply, "Glad to have you back." Rebecca had sized Archie up for a moment with slightly narrowed eyes and then she'd smiled, shrugged and wrapped him in a warm hug.

As Nathan and Elizabeth stepped around the counter to the kitchen during this exchange, Nathan whispered to Elizabeth, "That went better than I thought it would..." and she had smiled at him and inclined her head toward Allie. Their daughter was looking from one face to the other, grinning happily, almost unable to believe that every single person in her family shared the same space, with her in the middle. Elizabeth knew her smile made any awkwardness absolutely worth it.

Julie had invited Lucas for dinner as well, and Elizabeth got to see a new side to him. His chameleon nature served him well at their family dinner table, as he relaxed into laughter, stories and a sort of self-deprecating humor that was very unlike his formal persona behind the saloon's bar. Elizabeth liked him better this way, and found herself closer to trusting her sister's instincts about his sincerity.

Lee and Rosemary also joined them for dinner, and as had been the case since she'd come to Hope Valley, Violet never left loving arms. She didn't mind being held by anyone who would engage with her. When she was ready to sleep, they simply brought Jack's crib out to the living room, and she slept soundly through the laughter and commotion.

"I don't know whether to be happy or sad that you haven't needed me," Elizabeth said across the table to Rosemary.

"She's only been with us for three days!" Rosemary said, squeezing Lee's arm. She sighed blissfully, "But they've been the _most_ magical three days."

Lee laughed. "We get absolutely _nothing_ done when we're at home," he said, looking at his wife. "I walk in the door and from there, we just watch Violet." He raised his chin. "Because she's the most brilliant child ever born, right, sweetheart?"

Rosemary rolled her eyes, smiling radiantly. "Well, of _course."_ She looked at Elizabeth. "She sat _up_ last night! Can you _believe_ it? All on her own!"

Elizabeth laughed and took Rosemary's hand, knowing how much more there was in store for her dear friends. "We're so happy for you."

They'd made it an early night, knowing that today would start early and probably end late.

At midmorning as the roof building continued, Elizabeth took a break from the kitchen and went to the window in the living room that looked out to Rosemary and Lee's property. They were working quickly, and Elizabeth took a deep breath, watching Nathan climb a ladder holding one end of a truss that would form the upside-down V of the roofline. She closed her eyes for a moment, having a little talk with God about his safety. And then she added her prayers for the safety of everyone.

Allie came up behind her and grimaced. "He's really up there, isn't he?" she said softly. "I'm glad Grandpa isn't up on a ladder," she added, seeing Archie leading the horses that were helping to lever the trusses up to be placed.

"So am I, Allie," Elizabeth said, putting her arm around her. She looked down at her daughter. "Are you happy? Your whole family is around you."

Allie sighed. "I couldn't even think that this would happen someday." She looked up at Elizabeth and said simply, "It all changed with you."

"Oh, Allie," Elizabeth said, hugging her tightly. "That's a sweet thing to say. And it also just may have been the right time. People allow more as they get older and live through things. They forgive," she said.

Allie raised her eyebrows. "Not always," she said, laughing softly. "I'm just really glad Grandma and Grandpa forgave each other."

Elizabeth held her tightly at her side as they watched for a moment more.

"It's time, I think. Can you gather the children and bring them here?" Elizabeth said.

Most of the students from her class were here with their parents. Generally, the men were working on the house, and the women were helping with the food. One of the exceptions was Fiona, who was interested in how the roof was being placed, so she was over at the Coulters with Kevin as they handed tools up to the workers, fetched nails, found hardware and supports and generally acted as another set of hands.

Carson was walking around the house taking pictures that he wanted to put together to show the progress of the roof as it materialized.

As Allie found the children in various parts of the house and the treehouse, or watching from a distance outside, she told them where to meet. Soon the living room looked something like Elizabeth's classroom as they all gazed out the windows.

"You see that topmost point of the roof? With a Mennonite barn raising, that's the last piece put in place. It's a tradition to place a wreath or a flag, or even the bough of a nearby tree, in that spot as it's finished. It's called 'topping out,' and often when it's placed, the master carpenter on the job will make a speech, asking for God's blessing and thanking everyone who helped."

Robert raised his hand. "Who will make the speech? Mr. Coulter?"

"I've talked to him about it, and he said he wanted to thank everyone, so he will," Elizabeth said.

Now Opal had her hand up. "What will they put there?"

"Mrs. Coulter has made a wreath out of scraps of fabric from their wedding quilt, her wedding dress, and other pieces of their clothing. She also added a small scrap of one of Violet's blankets to the wreath, since it will be her home too," Elizabeth said.

Albert said flatly, "My mother says the Coulters might not get to keep Violet."

Elizabeth took a deep breath and nodded. "That's true. But it doesn't mean they love her any less, even though she might go away again. Can anyone tell me what the word 'foster' means?" Elizabeth asked.

Hattie raised her hand. "Does it mean to help something or someone to grow?"

Nodding, Elizabeth said, "Yes, Hattie. It means to encourage the development of someone... the way I'm fostering learning in all of you as a teacher, even though I know you'll all leave my classroom someday. The Coulters are fostering Violet. We hope she'll become their daughter in time, but just like we will all have relationships from our time at school together, they will always have this bond with Violet, no matter what happens."

Elizabeth couldn't know that Rosemary was standing just outside the living room, holding Violet and listening to every word.

"That's your Auntie Elizabeth, Violet," she whispered, holding her lips close to Violet's cheek. "She is my _best_ friend in all the world and I love her _very_ much.

Lunch was a catch-as-catch-can affair, with the harvest table full of every type of delicious dish imaginable. Workers came from next door intermittently so the work could continue, and they filled themselves with sandwiches, Elizabeth's savory stew featuring Airdrie Ranch beef, sopped up hungrily with the fresh sourdough bread. There were salads and side dishes, and to top it all off, pies, cakes, and fruit.

Suffice it to say, no one went back to work hungry. And this was only lunch. Dinner was yet to come, once the roof was up and they began to celebrate the Grants' housewarming and Archie Grant's birthday. Elizabeth wasn't even sure what would be served for dinner, as Gustav, Julie, Lucas and Bill had chosen to take on that task.

Nathan was one of the last to come for lunch, and from what Elizabeth had seen through the window, he'd spent most of the morning using his height to assist from the top of the ladder.

When he came through the door, she brought him a plate of food and sat with him in the loveseat as he ate ravenously. She came around behind him and rubbed his shoulders, knowing that the combination of the amount of wood he had chopped in the last few days and his work on the ladder today had to have taken its toll.

"Ohhhh," he said, groaning, "That feels so good, angel." He looked sideways at her and gave her a crooked smile. "I've discovered something today. I am _not_ as young as I used to be," he said, laughing softly.

"That makes two of us," Elizabeth said. "I don't even _know_ how many people are here! I've got Allie watching Jack and I think most of the girls are in her bedroom dressing him up," she said laughing.

Elizabeth stood to stretch her back, and Nathan sat up suddenly, "Wait, I should be rubbing _your_ shoulders," he said, standing up and walking her back around to sit. "Cooking for all these people, being the great hostess you always are, and Robert told me you even taught a lesson to the children today?" He massaged her shoulders gently. Leaning down to her ear he said softly, "All while carrying the most recent member of the Grant hockey team..."

Elizabeth sighed and closed her eyes. "That's lovely. You have very good hands," she said softly. "And I've been thinking. You like baseball much more than hockey." Her voice was drifting off with how good it felt for her muscles to relax in her neck and shoulders. "There are only six on a hockey team, and nine on a baseball team. Who knows? We might be parents to the next Ty Cobb..."

He laughed softly behind her. "You have no idea how happy you're making me right now, on _so_ many levels."

From the back door, Hickam called out, "Anyone know where Nathan is?"

"Here," Nathan said with a sigh. "I'm here," he said, louder.

"Oh, good," Mike said. "Lee wants your advice on something. It has to do with lot lines, or sight lines, or something..." His voice trailed off, seeing that Nathan had his hands on his wife's shoulders and she seemed to be sighing with her eyes closed. "Oh, gosh, well, I can tell him you're busy..." Mike said, turning on his heel.

Elizabeth opened her eyes with some difficulty and laughed. "No, it's fine, Mike. I need to get back to work anyway," she said, standing up.

Hickam was already on the other side of the wall, most likely blushing. "Okay, I'll let Lee know you're coming..." and they heard the back door slam.

Nathan looked around to make sure no one else was nearby and walked with her into the corner of the living room that wasn't visible to the rest of the house. He put his arms around her and kissed her soundly, which set her to sighing again. She put her arms up around his neck and let herself go completely into the warmth of his lips on hers.

He pulled away from the kiss and held her tightly as they breathed together.

"I love you," Elizabeth whispered into his chest. "Please be careful on that ladder."

"And I love you," he said softly into her hair. "Take good care of our little Ty Cobb."

She laughed and looked up at him. "Ty Cobb Grant? Is that now in the running?"

He raised his eyebrows. "It's not a _bad_ name," he said, nodding and smiling at her.

"Luckily we have plenty of time to decide." Then with determination, she said, "I need to get back to our guests, and you have a roof to finish." She kissed him again and led him by the hand to the back door. "Go get finished so you can come back to me."

Opening the door and giving her one more quick kiss, Nathan said, "Yes, ma'am."

The last of the boards went into place and the waterproof tar covering for under the shingles was completed by just shy of two in the afternoon. Lee stood next to Rosemary holding Violet, _inside_ their new house for the first time.

Everyone had gathered here for a toast, with beverages provided by Lucas and Bill.

"You've all heard the phrase 'many hands make light work,' and it was never truer than it was today," Lee said. "We are overwhelmed by your kindness, your love for us and how you've all braved the cold of this day to come out and help us." He raised his glass. "Rosemary, Violet and I hope to spend many happy hours with all of you under this roof we've just raised together." He looked at Rosemary and Violet, and with his eyes glistening, Lee said, "Truly, my cup runneth over."

Then he raised his glass higher and said, "To all of you." A cheer rose up and everyone toasted the Coulters' new home.

"Hey, everybody, look!" Robert was pointing out of the large space that would become the living room window. "It's snowing!"

Lee looked outside and raised his glass again. "And none too soon!" he said, laughing.

One by one they ventured out into the large snowflakes that were now falling on the Coulters' new roof. A few stayed behind to cover the windows and doors with the large cloths they'd brought from the sawmill for just that purpose.

The last three to leave were Lee, Rosemary and Violet. They walked through each room and talked softly about what to do next, stopping for a few extra minutes in Violet's room. She smiled back at them from Lee's arms and touched the wall with her pudgy little hand, taking ownership.

Just before they went through the cloth draping the front door, Rosemary turned. She pulled Lee and Violet into an embrace, and kissed Lee tenderly on the cheek.

"How much better could our life be than it is right now?" she said softly.

Lee pulled back and kissed her, and then kissed Violet on the cheek. "I have _no_ idea, Rosie. I don't even know how there could _be_ more than this."


	70. Chapter 70

The snow had fallen for a short time, just enough for the children to scrape up a few snowballs to toss at each other. Then it had largely melted, as it wasn't quite cold enough for it to stick yet. When Elizabeth looked behind the row houses in the distance she could see that it was full winter up in the mountains; but for now, Hope Valley was still green and wet.

Most of the morning's guests had gone home to wash and rest after being up before dawn. Many of them would come back for the dinner that was right now being prepared in the saloon's kitchen, overseen by Bill, Gustav and Lucas.

The family had taken the lull in activity as an opportunity to participate in a Grant family tradition, one that Nathan and Allie had explained to Elizabeth last Christmas.

Last evening, Nathan and Archie had gone over to dig up the tiny pine tree that had grown from the seed Allie had taken from last Christmas' pine cone. They were replanting it here at the new house, and it was barely a foot tall. It looked fragile to Elizabeth, but as Nathan covered its long roots with fresh warm soil taken from under the eaves of the barn, it stood up proudly on its own.

Rebecca watched with her arm through Charlie's, and directly across from her, Archie and Julie were huddled together against the wet chill. Nathan crouched down as Allie and Jack helped to fill in the small hole that would be the forever home of the little tree.

They'd chosen a spot that would always be visible from the house, where it would stand alone with plenty of room to grow tall and provide shade, and fragrance, and more Christmas pine cones for the children that would grow up in this home.

Elizabeth's hands were in the pockets of her coat and she pressed her fingers lightly against the small rise that only she and Nathan could detect at this point. She knew that she would never look out her kitchen window at this spot without also thinking of this new life; this child, hers and Nathan's, who would grow tall along with the tree.

As if he could read her thoughts, Nathan gazed up at her. In the gray mist, even at this distance, Elizabeth could see how blue his eyes were. And perhaps only Elizabeth knew how his emotions were welling up as he looked at his father, his mother, his son and daughter, and then finally at his wife who carried another part of his future inside her.

Nathan let the children finish the job and he stood and walked to her, wiping his hands on a towel. He put his arm around Elizabeth and pulled her to him, touching his lips to her hair while they watched Jack and Allie press the dirt around the small tree.

"It means so much that you're all here for this day," he started, his voice rough. He couldn't say more, so Rebecca saved him the effort and said in a strong voice, "The first tree of many at your beautiful new home, Nathan." She looked at Charlie and then across at Archie. "I think I can speak for all of us when I say how proud we are of the life you and Elizabeth have made here."

"Thank you, Mom," he said softly.

Elizabeth squeezed Nathan's arm and looked up into his face. This was one of those moments when she could see his gratitude so clearly written there, almost a look of disbelief that this life was his. She reached her gloved hand up and touched his cheek affectionately.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and turned to the rest of the family and said brightly, "What about some hot chocolate? Allie puts lots of marshmallows in."

Allie jumped up, "I'll get it started!" She took Jack's hand and led him into the house, followed by the rest of the family.

Elizabeth and Nathan stayed by the little tree, taking a moment to enjoy the perfect view of the house. The lights inside provided a soft glow through the heavy curtains Elizabeth had finished. They had closed them once most of the guests had left, to keep the house warm until the next wave arrived in a few hours.

This would be the time they would normally walk around to the front porch and sit in the swing. But they knew it had been retired for the winter, pushed under the small overhang at the side of the house and firmly covered with oilcloth. It would stay protected until the spring.

"Are you cold?" Nathan asked her.

Elizabeth nodded. "No, not at all," she said.

"Can we walk down to the barn?" Nathan asked.

"I'd love to," Elizabeth said, taking his arm. "I need to say hello to Sergeant." She took his hand. "I wasn't riding as often before I was carrying Jack. I don't remember missing it so much."

Nathan smiled at her. "I know that next spring seems like a long way away, but it will be here before you know it." He took a deep breath and laughed softly. "I have to admit that this all has me reeling a little bit, Elizabeth. In a _very_ good way, but I just wake up every morning to the... the miracle of it."

He stopped and turned to her, placing his hand gently on her stomach. "What you're doing for us, for me... I..." Nathan sighed. "This is a first for me, and I know that it'll change me forever. It already has." He shook his head, laughing softly. "As usual, I'm not expressing myself very clearly,"

Elizabeth leaned up and kissed him. "I know exactly what you're saying. It's a miracle to me every day too." She looked into his eyes. "When I was pregnant with Jack, I was alone, Nathan. I had Abigail and Clara and Rosemary, of course, but to be able to share this with you, to _really_ share it, because this is _both_ of us," she placed her hand on top of Nathan's, "This is a first for me too. It's all new. And I love seeing that look in your eyes that tells me you understand what a mystery this all is."

Nathan laughed. "Well, get used to that look. When I see Rosemary and Lee with Violet? Their eyes when they look at her? Get used to that look too. I'll be lucky if I can get myself to work every day."

Elizabeth laughed as they started walking again. "I remember when I first had Laura come in and help with Jack so I could go back to work. Poor Laura! I would go to the door, then come back and kiss Jack, then go to the door, then come back to make sure she knew what he liked for lunch..." She put her face in her hand. "I was impossible."

Nathan smiled warmly at her. "You won't be the only one doing that." Nodding, he said, "And we'll share everything, Elizabeth. You're not alone anymore."

Hugging his arm, Elizabeth said, "I know."

They stepped through the barn door and into the half-light. Immediately they were immersed in the world of horses; a world they both loved.

Archie had insisted, since he said he wasn't paying his way, that he be given work to do. Nathan and Elizabeth knew that he enjoyed working and it made him feel like he was a part of the farm, so he had taken on the care of the barn. He said it kept him limber and moving, and Nathan had remarked that they had the cleanest, neatest barn he'd ever seen.

Elizabeth looked around and had to agree with him. Fresh hay, brushed horses, clean stalls, and the tack lined up on the wall with precision.

When Nathan had built the barn, he'd added a small shop at the back where he puttered with wood the way he had since he was a boy. He'd already made beautiful finials for the tops of the gateposts, and there was a freshly carved sign on the front fencing that said _Grant, Est. 1917._

Elizabeth started to go toward Sergeant's stall, and Nathan took her hand, leading her gently back to his shop. "I need your opinion on something," he said, smiling back at her.

"And you know I'm always happy to give it, usually to a fault," she replied, laughing softly.

"Close your eyes," he said. When she did, he put his arm around her and led her slowly to his workbench.

"Open them," he said.

In front of her was another one of Nathan's plaques, so beautifully worked and finished, each letter perfect.

_Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen – Ralph Waldo Emerson_

Elizabeth smiled up at him. "I wrote that to you in a letter once," she said quietly.

"I know," Nathan said. "You were talking about your decision to teach. But for me, it describes so many decisions." He took her in his arms and held her. "And if because of them, the universe has conspired to create this; you and me, this marriage, this house, these children..." He kissed her gently, "They were _good_ decisions."

"It's beautiful, Nathan," she said. "Where are you going to put it?"

"That's where your opinion comes in. At first I was thinking of just hanging it here, but I wanted to know what you thought."

"If I had my choice," Elizabeth said, "I would want to put it above the bookshelves you're building for me in the sunroom." She raised an eyebrow at him and smiled.

Nathan nodded, laughing. "Well done. An opinion _and_ a reminder in the same sentence..." He put the plaque under his arm and walked out with her to see the horses. "That's where it will go, then."

They spent some time with Sergeant, Bear and Sarah, and then headed into the house. The aroma of hot chocolate was enticing, and so was the conversation going on around the harvest table. Seeing his mother, his father, and Charlie all at the table discussing the Airdrie Ranch was a little surreal for Nathan, but it was the best kind of surreal. Allie had Jack on her lap and they were listening, but most of all they were watching their marshmallows slowly melt into the hot chocolate and waiting for it to cool so they could drink it.

Nathan and Elizabeth walked into the sunroom, expecting to put the plaque there and talk about where the bookshelves would go, but they found themselves in the company of Rosemary and Lee sitting on the sofa and looking out of the windows at their house with its new roof. Violet was napping in the crib next to them.

"That's it, we're moving in," Lee said, warming his feet by the crackling fire in the woodstove. "This is the best room in the house." He looked up at Nathan and pointed to the Coulter homestead in the distance. "And it has a truly _spectacular_ view."

Instead of measuring for bookshelves, Elizabeth and Nathan sat down together on the soft cushions in the window seat facing their new next door neighbors.

"I was just telling Lee about how you and I used to talk over the fence between the houses while we did the washing," Rosemary said to Elizabeth. "I think we'll have to talk a little louder now," she said, laughing.

Nathan looked out the window. "It's a good house, Lee."

Nodding, Lee said, "Yes. It is. And I still can't get over today. The way everyone pitched in."

Nathan laughed. "I know. That's something about this town that's taken me a while to get used to. Still haven't quite managed it."

"What's next?" Elizabeth asked, "When can you move in? I can't wait until you're next door to us."

"First windows and doors, then floors, and then we'll move in and finish up the inside through the winter," Lee said.

Rosemary couldn't contain herself. "Next week!" she said in a forceful whisper, not wanting to wake Violet.

Lee raised his eyebrows. "Sweetheart, I said _maybe_ next week. Maybe two."

Rosemary leaned forward and said softly to Elizabeth, "Next week."

Nathan said, "You let us know what help you need."

Allie cleared her throat softly at the doorway. "You really need to come see this," she said, smiling.

Nathan and Elizabeth followed Allie out to the front windows, and just pulling on to the meadow road was a wagon. As it got closer, they could see that it had _Stewart Ranch_ stenciled on the side.

Chuck Stewart held the reins, and Grace Bennett from the Brookfield Orphanage was standing up and holding a hand-lettered sign that said _Surprise! Lizzie is mooooving in today!_

Elizabeth laughed out loud, seeing the cow that was dutifully plodding along behind the wagon.

Allie looked up at Nathan and rolled her eyes. "That _has_ to be one of your jokes," she said.

Nathan shrugged and said, "C'mon, that's _funny._ You've got to admit that's funny, Allie."

"We _still_ have to work on your jokes, Dad."


	71. Chapter 71

For Allie and Lizzie the cow, it was love at first sight.

Once they got Lizzie settled in the barn, Chuck gave a quick lesson to Allie on how to care for her. Grace was listening too, as they had recently acquired a milk cow for the orphanage and she knew she still had more to learn. Elizabeth watched so she would be ready to help Allie if she needed it. Archie and Nathan were there just for fun.

"So you can feed her hay, grain or let her graze if there's enough grass for her to eat. She'll need constant access to clean water. Have the vet in town come out and see her every once in a while, but anytime I'm around I can do it. Treat her stall just like you do the horses, make sure it's clean. She'll need to be milked once, or if she's full, sometimes twice a day. And that's pretty much it," Chuck said, putting an affectionate hand on Lizzie's rump.

As punctuation, Lizzie gave them a short moo. She was a patient and tolerant cow, just right to help a young girl learn.

Allie was in heaven. Lizzie was not only another animal to love and care for, but she also gave Allie an opportunity to earn money with the butter and cheese Allie could make from her milk.

"So, are you ready to try? She needs milking," Chuck said, smiling.

"Definitely!" Allie said enthusiastically. Twenty minutes later, she proudly presented Elizabeth with a pail of warm, fresh milk.

Chuck gave Allie a pat on the back and smiled at Nathan and Elizabeth. "She's a natural," he said. "You'll want to cool that off in the icebox right away to keep it fresh. Stir it once in a while to keep the cream from coming to the top unless you're planning to make butter."

Allie was frowning a little and rubbing her hands. Grace nodded and laughed softly, "Yeah, that'll hurt for a little while. You're using a whole new set of muscles in your hands and forearms. Until you get used to it, trust me, you'll be a little sore."

Brightening, Allie said, "It was fun, though!"

Grace rolled her eyes a little. "Talk to me in a couple of weeks," she said, putting her arm around Allie's shoulders. She leaned down and whispered, "Have you read _The Adventures of Tom Sawyer?"_

Allie nodded.

"You know when he gets his friends to help with the fence because he makes it sound like fun?" Grace smiled at her. "Try that with your friends and milking Lizzie. It works!"

Allie raised her eyebrows, "Thanks for the tip," she said, nodding.

With his arm around Elizabeth, Nathan carried the bucket of milk up to the house and was glad that Lucas had brought extra ice from the saloon. Their food storage capacity was already seriously overtaxed with the day-long roof work and the upcoming party. As it was, Nathan had rigged up a covered box using the natural cold from the outdoors. He'd even made sure it could lock to keep uninvited forest guests from helping themselves.

Elizabeth had never been more grateful for Julie, Lucas, and Bill. She'd spent so much time in the kitchen this morning that the thought of orchestrating dinner for nearly fifty people was more than she wanted to think about.

"What can I do?" she asked Bill as they came in the back door from the barn.

Bill grinned at her. "Get out of my kitchen," he said, giving her a little nudge. "You did enough this morning, now you get to be a guest."

She sighed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Bill, have I told you how much I love you?"

"Not today, but you can save it until _after_ dinner," he said. Then he whispered, "We have _no_ idea what we're doing." To Elizabeth's sudden frown, he laughed and said, "Just kidding! Now, out!"

Happily, she followed his instructions. She and Nathan wove through the various early guests, saloon helpers, Clara, Julie, Lucas and Gustav, all buzzing around the harvest table like so many honeybees.

Now that the porch swing was put away, Nathan and Elizabeth found themselves naturally gravitating toward the sunroom. As Lee had said, it really was the best room in the house, especially when the fire was blazing as it was now.

But as usual during these busy days, it was already occupied.

Rebecca and Rosemary had moved the table from between the two facing sofas and were now down on the floor with Jack and Violet. They'd brought Jack's toys from his room and the floor was all but covered with them.

Jack was currently playing the older brother and showing Violet how to build a tower. Violet figured out the game right away, and as soon as he had three or four blocks on top of each other, she would topple it with her chubby little hand, sending both of them into gales of laughter.

And not just the children. Rebecca and Rosemary might have been having more fun than Violet and Jack.

One of the best parts of the sunroom was that it ran almost the length of the house, as if it were another part of the porch that was simply closed in. The windows also ran the length of it, which was why it wasn't easy to keep warm in the winter.

Nathan and Elizabeth passed by the happy scene on the floor and made their way down to the colder part of the room. There were plenty of quilts for just this reason, and they bundled up on the cushion-covered bench at the end. It was about as private as they could get in the house right now without closing a door and being completely antisocial.

With Nathan's arm around her, Elizabeth snuggled down into his chest, listening to the infectious sounds of laughter, while Rebecca shared her wisdom with Rosemary about the fine art of raising children.

Elizabeth's eyes were slowly closing.

"Do you know how easily I could take a nap right now?" Elizabeth asked, her voice muffled by the quilt.

"You should," Nathan said, absentmindedly stroking her curls. "You've had a long day already."

"It hardly seems fair," she said sleepily. "You've had a long day too."

Nathan smiled serenely. "Yes, but I'm not doing everything for two," he said, softly kissing the top of her head.

Elizabeth leaned back so she could meet his lips with hers. She sighed into the kiss, wishing that at this moment they were all alone in the world. It felt a little like they were. When she finally opened her eyes, something moved in her field of vision.

"Nathan," she said, peering up to the place where the roof met the wall in the corner. "Look."

He turned and looked. "Is that...?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said, sitting up. "I think it is."

Nathan moved the quilt and stood. Reaching his long arm up, he unhooked the willow hoop hung with feathers and leather strings that was suspended on a nail.

Elizabeth gasped. "It's our dreamcatcher. From the Summer Cabin in Airdrie."

Nathan smiled. "I wonder if Charlie was ever going to tell us?" he said softly. "This could have been here for a long time before we noticed it."

They both looked over at Rebecca who was gazing at them from across the room with soft eyes. She blew them a kiss and nodded, and then she gave her attention back to Rosemary.

"It's right on the other side of our bedroom," Elizabeth said quietly to Nathan.

He put it back up on the nail and cuddled down into the quilt with Elizabeth. He kissed her again, and then, against her lips he murmured, "No wonder I've been having such good dreams lately..."

People began to arrive in earnest about an hour later, and there was a steady stream of lively talk and laughter floating into the house from the path outside. Soon every chair, sofa, cushion and bench was filled, including the stone hearth that encircled the fireplace in the middle of the living room.

Grace and Chuck seemed to have discovered not only the loveseat, but also its romantic advantages as they held hands across the center divider. Grace was sharing Allie's room for the night and Chuck was in the room across from Archie, so they wouldn't have to travel back to Brookfield until late in the morning tomorrow.

Bill was holding court in the kitchen, with Clara and Jesse assisting. Julie walked around the rooms, moving a cloth here, a fork there, as if she were creating a fine painting.

Allie's room was filled with Elizabeth's students, as Allie proudly showed those who hadn't yet been here around her new house. Next stop was the newly-planted pine tree, then the barn to introduce them to Lizzie, and after that, the treehouse. For a girl who had never been able to settle down anywhere, Allie was very happily rooted.

Carson, Faith and Fiona were walking along the interior wall that was all but covered with photographs from the Airdrie wedding, from the reception in Hope Valley, one of the whole family on horses, of Elizabeth in her schoolroom, and one of Nathan in full red serge that Fiona had snapped while he was on his rounds.

Fiona also pointed out the photo she had taken of the family in the Infirmary, when Nathan's leg was healing. "Jack has already grown so _much!"_ she said, shaking her head at the little boy holding up his toy Mountie.

Near the center was the first photo taken of Elizabeth and Nathan, when they were still just friends at Jesse and Clara's wedding. Carson told the story of how he stopped the two of them and asked them to stand together while he took the picture.

Carson smiled, "You were in Chicago then, Faith, and I was on my own, so it was good to have something to do." He pointed to the picture. "They always looked good together. I could tell it felt a little awkward to them, but I just had to do it." He laughed, "Afterwards, I think I said something like, 'That's a keeper,' but what I really wanted to say was, _'Why_ aren't you two together?'"

Fiona laughed too. "And then, Elizabeth caught the bouquet! And now they're married. So you're psychic, Carson," she said, arching her eyebrow.

Most surprising was a conversation that was going on in the corner of the living room. Charlie and Archie were talking easily about how the ranch was doing in its relatively new foray into raising goats. No matter what had happened since, Charlie and Archie had started as friends. They looked to be renewing that relationship tentatively over the business of the ranch.

Kevin and Lee stood next to the front door and were acting as informal greeters as guests walked in. It gave Lee the chance to thank people personally for their help with the roof, and in between Kevin was picking Lee's brain about housebuilding. He was thinking of his own sometime in the near future.

When Nathan and Elizabeth emerged from their corner of the sunroom, the aromas in the house were incredible. Gustav had prepared a huge pot of savory _Coq au Vin,_ though Bill kept goading him by calling it _Chicken Surprise_. Bill's contribution was succulent pork ribs that nearly fell off the bone, and dozens of individual shepherd's pies that dotted the harvest table, nestled among fresh cooked vegetables, sweet potatoes, cheese and sweet fig jam, and buttermilk biscuits.

The _piece de resistance_ was a cake designed by Julie and created by Gustav in three separate layers. The top layer wished Archie a Happy Birthday, the middle layer showed the Coulter's roof, and the lower layer was a beautiful interpretation of the Grant farm that said Happy Housewarming.

Elizabeth stood in awe looking at the table, and Julie snuck up behind her. "What do you think?" she asked.

Shaking her head, Elizabeth was speechless for a moment. Then she found her voice. "I can't believe it, Julie. This is more than I could ever have imagined."

Leading her sister to a corner of the table, Julie pointed out a delicate china plate with tiny petit fours. Next to it was a small card in calligraphy. _Coming soon: Le Bistro. Fine Dining in Hope Valley._

Elizabeth laughed incredulously. "You're _advertising_ at our party? Julie!"

Julie raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "What better place? Gustav's _Coq au vin_ will be on the menu. And practically everyone is here!" Julie looked around excitedly.

Sighing, Elizabeth said, "You're impossible." She hugged Julie, "And I love you. Thank you for all this. I didn't think I could spend another minute in the kitchen today."

Lucas came up quietly behind Julie and put a light hand on her shoulder. He bent down and whispered, "Excuse me, but you're needed." She turned and looked up at him, her eyes twinkling and a radiant smile on her face. "It's always good to be needed," she said softly.

Lucas took her hand and started to lead her away. Elizabeth said, "Lucas, how can we ever thank you for all this?"

He shook his head and smiled. "No need, Elizabeth. When I think of all that you and Nathan and Rosemary and Lee do for this town? We're just glad to be here."

With that, Lucas, Julie, Bill and Gustav walked to the front of the food table and called out in unison, "Dinner is served!" From there, it was a sort of organized chaos of hungry people and delicious food, until it was time to serve the cake.

Julie had managed to find paper hats and they were handed out to everyone with a great deal of laughter and posing for Carson's camera. Candles were put on the top of the cake and Archie was called up to blow them out with calls of "Speech!"

Archie looked into the faces of everyone around him with his eyes glistening, and he asked Nathan to come and stand with him. "I'm prouder of my son than I have words to tell you, and the fact that all of you, his friends, have made me a part of your town the way you have... well, it makes an old reprobate like me happier than I deserve to be..." His voice faltering, Archie said, "Thank you."

Nathan raised his glass and said, "Happy Birthday, Dad. I hope we have many, many more birthdays right here in this house. Together." He hugged Archie and someone started singing:

_For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, and so say all of us!_

During the singing, Nathan sought Elizabeth in the crowd. He found her, leaning casually against the picture wall, and she happened to be right next to the picture Carson had taken at Jesse and Clara's wedding.

Nathan smiled at her and she smiled back with an infinite well of love in her eyes.

If he had known, when that picture was taken on that night when he was still unsure of her love for him, that it would all turn out like this? He wondered if it would have made it all easier.

And then, looking at his beautiful Elizabeth, the love of his life, he knew that it had all unfolded just the way it should. He glanced over at Lucas, the man he once thought was his rival, standing just behind Julie and whispering something into her ear, clearly completely taken with her.

It might have seemed to be a competition once, but it was the best kind of contest. Because both of them had won.


	72. Chapter 72

Sitting in front of the warm fire, Grace was getting one last cuddle with Violet before she and Chuck left for Brookfield.

Smiling, Grace said, "She's clearly thriving, Rosemary. Happy and healthy. We miss her, but I'm so glad she's found a good home with you."

Rosemary frowned slightly and moved closer, whispering, "Any word?"

Grace shook her head. "Lillian has asked Gabe, but he says until he's finished up, he won't be sharing any details or speculation regarding an ongoing investigation." Seeing Rosemary's face, Grace said, "I know this is hard, but we have to hope that Violet will be yours someday soon. Lillian and I are looking at this investigation as a way to be sure there won't be anyone contesting an adoption."

Rosemary's eyes softened as she looked at the little girl. "We love her so much already, Grace. I can't imagine loving her more, so I suppose time doesn't matter." She smiled at Violet and touched her finger gently on her cheek. "And Lee... oh, my goodness, my husband is positively _besotted_ with her."

Grace nodded. "It's how it should be." She sighed, reluctantly handing Violet over to Rosemary. "And now, much as I would love to sit here with you and Violet in front of this warm fire... we have to get on the road."

Elizabeth was in the kitchen, finishing up the last of the sandwiches and leftovers she was packing for Grace and Chuck's trip.

Grace laughed. "Elizabeth! Is this for a passing regiment? We can't possibly eat all this food!"

Elizabeth handed the package to Grace. "There's cake in there too. Take it to Lillian and the children if you don't eat it. We have so much food left over, I have no idea how we're going to finish it all!" she said, walking Grace to the front door.

Rosemary gave Grace a warm hug. "Be careful. And come back to visit soon."

"We'll _have_ to come back to check on Lizzie, of course," Grace said, laughing. She turned to Elizabeth. "We've had the most wonderful time here."

Elizabeth opened the front door and they walked out to the porch. "Is there any way we can convince you to stay?" Elizabeth asked. She looked up at the sky and it was clear that snow was coming again.

Grace shook her head. "Chuck has to get back to the ranch before the snow falls in Brookfield. His mother is already upset with him for coming all this way for one cow." She hugged Elizabeth, "Tess is a _challenge."_

Elizabeth fixed Grace's coat collar and smiled. "You and Chuck seem to be well-suited for each other."

Grace nodded, looking down shyly. "We are." Then she looked back up at Elizabeth. "But Tess doesn't think so. There's a girl that Chuck used to know, Lucy... Tess is pushing pretty hard for her. She's even hired her on at the ranch so they have to see each other every day."

Elizabeth smiled. "I don't see that Chuck has eyes for anyone else but you, Grace. No matter who he sees every day."

Sighing, Grace said, "I've watched the last couple of days, how you and Rebecca get along. She loves you. You're lucky, you know?"

Elizabeth smiled. "I _do_ know. And I've had some experience with parents thinking they know better who is right for you. My mother wanted me to marry a man who couldn't be more different from Nathan." Elizabeth put her arm through Grace's and walked her out to the wagon.

Grace raised her eyebrows. "Obviously your mother didn't get her way." She smiled at Elizabeth. "And I can't imagine any two people being better matched than you and Nathan."

"In the end, Grace, it's your choice. Yours and Chuck's. So, stay hopeful," Elizabeth said brightly, "Chuck is a good man, and he clearly cares for you. Sometimes it's just _time_ that heals things."

Grace and Elizabeth were standing next to the wagon now, and they looked up at the canvas that Nathan and Chuck had just rigged to create a cover. "Looks good," Grace said. "Fancy!"

Chuck smiled down at her affectionately. "Practical," he said. "If it starts snowing like I think it will, you'll be mighty glad to have a place to shelter."

Grace handed up the package of food to Nathan and he packed it away with the blankets they were sending with Grace and Chuck.

"We'll get those back to you next time you visit Brookfield," Chuck said. "It's just a precaution."

Nathan nodded. "A good one. I think you're right about the snow. And thanks again for bringing Lizzie. It was a lot to ask."

Chuck smiled and leaned down so that only Nathan could hear him. "I've never enjoyed a stock delivery more. Two full days and a night with Grace, plus your party, great food and company, and..." he laughed softly, "...my mother is _miles_ away." He shook Nathan's hand. "I should be thanking _you."_

Nathan smiled and whispered back. "Let us know if you need another excuse. I'm sure we can think of something."

Nathan jumped down and gave Grace a quick hug. "Take care of this guy," he said, angling his head up to Chuck.

Grace rolled her eyes slightly, "Oh, he definitely needs some taking care of," she said, looking up at him.

Nathan helped her up and Chuck and Grace settled on the front bench of the wagon with a blanket tucked around their legs.

Elizabeth said, "Wire us when you get there."

"We will," Grace said as Chuck turned the wagon.

Elizabeth and Nathan stood with their arms around each other and watched until the wagon turned the corner into town.

"Are they going to make it before the snow?" Elizabeth asked.

"Not a chance," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I'm going to wire ahead to Gabe to keep an eye out for them. But there was no stopping Chuck. And his mother is a force to be reckoned with."

"You know her?"

"Yes. She was connected to that bank fraud case I worked on with Gabe. I don't know her well personally, but I've sure heard about her, and I can tell you there's a fine line between good business and bad dealings in the way she looks at the world."

"Grace says she doesn't approve of her friendship with Chuck," Elizabeth said, as they walked back to the house.

"That doesn't surprise me," Nathan said. He gazed at Elizabeth. "Kind of like your parents wouldn't approve of me?"

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Which only proves the point I was just making to Grace. That parents don't always know what's best for us, and we ultimately need to make our own decisions."

Nathan laughed softly and placed his hand gently around her waist. "And we'll revisit this conversation when Allie, or Jack, or little Ty Cobb put _us_ in that position."

Elizabeth laughed too, shaking her head. "Oh, I'm sure we won't have _any_ opinions!"

Hearing a noise behind them, Nathan and Elizabeth turned. Allie was running up the road to their house, and just behind her was Robert Wolf.

"Race you to the treehouse!" Allie called out, speeding past them. "Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!"

"You're _way_ too slow to beat me!" Robert said, passing Nathan and Elizabeth. "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Grant!"

As Allie and Robert rounded the corner to the backyard, Nathan looked at Elizabeth with wide _deer in the headlamp_ eyes. Elizabeth looked back at him with a slight frown.

Nathan said slowly, "Allie's thirteen, Robert is fifteen. Just the two of them in the treehouse?"

"They're friends, Nathan. They've _been_ friends for a long time," Elizabeth said cautiously.

Nathan narrowed his eyes slightly. "You and I were friends for a long time too." He took a deep breath and looked around the corner of the house. "You know," he said, nodding. "We've used up most of our wood for the stoves. I should probably..." he said, looking further toward the backyard, "...chop some more."

Elizabeth laughed softly. "And where you chop wood just happens to be right by the treehouse."

Looking at her, Nathan laughed too, raising an eyebrow. "Might not be a bad idea for Robert to see me with an axe in my hands."

Elizabeth reached her hand up and put it on the side of his face. "Please don't be too terrifying, my love. You already have the red serge on your side," she said, leaning up to kiss him. "Allie's a good, smart girl. You can trust her."

Nathan nodded and kissed Elizabeth back, quickly. "It's not Allie I'm worried about." He started around the side of the house. "Go inside and get warm, angel." Elizabeth looked at him from under her lashes and Nathan laughed again, "I'll be nice. I promise."

"Good," she said, smiling at him. "Let me know when you want lunch."

"I will, and then I'm going over to help Lee with the doors. He's got Archie, Hickam and Jesse helping, but I'm sure they can use another pair of hands."

He blew her a kiss as he rounded the corner, and Elizabeth went inside to the warm house.

Rebecca and Charlie were staying another day and would be joining them later. Charlie wanted to spend some time with Kevin to talk about new methods of shoeing horses, and Rebecca was buying fabric at the Mercantile while she was in town.

Julie and Lucas would be coming out for dinner as well, and Bill had said he would drop by if he could finish up the reading he needed to do for a case he was working on. Elizabeth had so much food in the icebox in the kitchen, and the storage box outside was filled as well. She was worried they'd have to throw it out if they didn't have people over for dinner, and soon.

She was counting in her head as she hung up her coat. Twelve, she thought, with Rosemary and Lee. Just right for the harvest table.

"How's the work going next door?" Elizabeth asked Rosemary. She walked into the living room and sat on the stone hearth to warm herself by the fire.

Rosemary looked up from where Violet and Jack were playing. "They put the windows in this morning, and now they're working on doors. I'll feel better once the house is all closed in."

Elizabeth smiled. "I remember that time with this house. It really makes it feel like a home somehow when you can close a door."

Rosemary checked to make sure Violet was okay and then she stood up. "Do you mind if I take some of those leftover sandwiches to Lee? They're probably hungry by now."

Elizabeth nodded. "Please! Lucas and Bill definitely overestimated the food for yesterday. Take whatever you want. We're having the rest of the ribs and chicken for dinner. I need to bake some more bread this afternoon, but that's all that's on my list."

"So you don't mind watching Violet for me for a little while?" Rosemary asked.

Elizabeth tilted her head at her friend as if to say _are you kidding?_ "I would love to. Take as long as you want."

Taking a quick look outside, Elizabeth could see Nathan working at the wood block. She smiled. They _did_ need the wood for the stoves and fireplace, but she wondered how Nathan would fare as Allie got older. She thought the reason fathers were so worried about fifteen-year-old boys is that they had _been_ fifteen once.

Rosemary started putting sandwiches together in the kitchen while Elizabeth took her place on the floor with Jack and Violet. Jack was rubbing his eyes and she could see they would both be going down for naps soon. Since Jack was escaping the crib every morning now, they had him on Allie's old rollaway bed for the time being, and when Violet was over, she got the crib.

Maybe she could get some writing done while they napped. It had been so busy that she hadn't written in her journal in two days and she missed it.

When all the commotion died down a little, Nathan would be spending time in the woodshop making the bookshelves for the sunroom and also making a bed for Jack. Then the crib would go in the fifth bedroom for the new arrival.

"Nathan is chopping more wood?" Rosemary said, hearing the steady _thwack_ in the back yard.

Elizabeth smiled. "Yes. We need it, but also..." She looked over at Rosemary and raised her eyebrow. "...Allie is in the treehouse with Robert."

Rosemary's mouth formed a perfect O. "Oh, I see." She laughed softly. "You and I will talk again when Violet is Allie's age. We'll see how Lee handles that."

Elizabeth looked softly at Rosemary. "You're a natural mother, you know. You're so good at it. As if you've been doing it for years."

Rosemary laughed, "You should spend some time inside my head, Elizabeth." She waved the knife around, making her point. "Actually, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I second-guess myself a hundred times a day."

"Only a hundred?" Elizabeth said, laughing. "There's no instruction manual, Rosemary. I don't know what I would have done without all of you when Jack was a baby. It really does take a village to raise a child."

"Amen to that," Rosemary said softly. "And speaking of children, how are you doing? I notice you're off the ginger tea?"

Elizabeth exhaled, "Finally. Yes, I'm good. And..." She checked to be sure the children were playing and she stood up. "...come feel."

Rosemary wiped her hands and walked over to Elizabeth, who put her hand on her stomach.

"Too much dinner last night?" Rosemary said, laughing. "I can feel it. Already?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Three and a half months. I just don't remember showing with Jack this soon." She pulled on the waistband of her skirt, trying to loosen it. "I'm going to have to get my maternity clothes out of storage because nothing fits anymore."

"It does seem soon..." Rosemary's eyebrows went up, understanding immediately. "Oh. Nathan is a twin."

Elizabeth nodded. "We've already discussed it with Carson and he's going to keep a close eye on me. He says it's absolutely possible." Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Two at once? Now that you have Violet, can you even imagine?"

Rosemary hugged her tightly. Then she pulled away and smiled. "What did you say about a village?"


	73. Chapter 73

Elizabeth noticed the first flakes outside the window at a little past one in the afternoon. Violet was sound asleep on Elizabeth's chest, and she had to admit she wasn't anxious to let go of her. Rosemary was right, Violet had a completely different energy than Jack at this age. Mellower, calmer; as Rosemary had called it, serene. It was hard not to absorb some of that peace.

Jack was on the quilt in front of the fire, and had reached the stage just before sleep. He was lying with his head to the side, talking very softly to his beloved Mountie, now a little ragged from too much love. Elizabeth was thinking she would need to see if Ned had any red felt at the Mercantile so she could fashion another tunic for him.

Elizabeth basked in the peace of the moment inside her warm, cozy house. With a toddler on the floor, a baby on her breast, the soft crack of wood being chopped outside by the man she loved so dearly, Elizabeth looked out the window and reflected on the joy in her life.

It was first one flake, then another, circling lazily down, and combined with the warm sleeping child, Jack's singsong whispering and the snapping of the fire, Elizabeth thought she might just nod off herself. Then, as always, Elizabeth thought of others. Allie and Robert in the treehouse, Nathan out chopping wood, Rosemary needing to walk back from their house to collect Violet, and the necessity for her to drive the car home before the snow got too deep.

But especially, Elizabeth was thinking of Grace and Chuck out on the road with a couple of hours' travel still ahead of them.

Anyone who had lived in Hope Valley for multiple winters knew that this was only the beginning. It was cold enough today for the snow to stick, and it was falling faster than it could possibly melt. Elizabeth worried for a moment about the little pine tree, but Nathan had assured her that pines were particularly built for this sort of weather, which is why they thrived out here. If it got really bad, he said he would build a small tent for it.

In a very short span of time, it wasn't just a few flakes and they weren't falling lazily. The wind had picked up slightly and Elizabeth was reminded of their wedding photo, except this time it was actual snow.

She looked down at Jack. His eyes were now closed and his breathing told her that a soft snore wasn't far away. She got up carefully from the floor and adjusted Violet to her other shoulder. Walking to the window she was glad to see Rosemary walking back from her new house, a little angled against the wind and her scarf over her face against the snow.

Nathan had his arms full of wood ready to bring into the mud room outside the kitchen. He had obviously called up to Allie and Robert, as they were picking up stray pieces of wood to bring in as well.

Everyone arrived at once, and keeping them quiet was impossible, so Jack sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily, and started to cry.

So much for the peace of the first real snowfall.

Nathan came in first, rubbing his hands together. He'd shaken off the snow in the mudroom, and Elizabeth called softly out to Robert and Allie to do the same before they entered the kitchen.

Then Rosemary threw off her coat, snow and all, and took Violet from Elizabeth's arms so she could tend to a loudly crying Jack.

Rosemary looked outside, frowning. "Nathan, Lee wants to know if you can pull the car around and put it in your barn? He says this storm is coming down from the mountains where the sawmill land is, and it's five feet deep up there," Rosemary said. "He doesn't expect it to stop anytime soon." Until they had their own covered space at their new house, the car would have to go to the Grants' barn, the livery, or just sit and be covered with snow in front of their row house.

Nathan nodded, "He's right. It doesn't look like it's stopping." He headed back out to get his coat, and just as he did, the phone rang from the sunroom.

"You go," Elizabeth said to Nathan. "I'll get the telephone." Jack had calmed now, and was over his initial shock at the shattered peace and quiet. "Mama has to get the phone, Jack. You stay here with Allie, okay?"

It was Robert's mother from the Mercantile, asking Elizabeth to send him home. She bundled up and watched from under the front porch eaves as he ran to town, and waved to Mrs. Wolf when she could see they'd met up at the corner.

Jack was still going to need a nap, and as it was, he sat with Allie with his eyes at half-mast. Elizabeth picked him up gently and said, "I'm going to put him down. It shouldn't take long."

After all the excitement of yesterday and an early morning, Jack was sound asleep after less than five minutes in the rocking chair.

Elizabeth walked in on a conversation already in progress. Nathan had reheated the morning coffee and was pouring out a cup for himself. "...They'll be fine inside, and they can still get lots of work done. I've got snowshoes if it gets too deep between the houses. I can ride them over to them on Bear," Nathan said.

Rosemary smiled plaintively up at Elizabeth from her spot near the fire. "It seems you'll have some houseguests for the time being, Elizabeth."

Grinning, Elizabeth said, "I'd like nothing more." She led Rosemary down the hall and Violet slept soundly through a move from Rosemary's arms to the crib.

"Tea?" Elizabeth whispered as they walked back toward the kitchen.

"Oh, I would _love_ a cup," Rosemary said.

Elizabeth put the water on and put her arm around Nathan in the kitchen. She looked up at him, worried. "Grace and Chuck?"

Nathan sighed and nodded. "They're probably in the thick of it," he said. I'll take the snowshoes over to Lee's and then I'll ride into town and wire Gabe." He shook his head. "The Brookfield Mountie office is next in line to get a telephone, but that's not going to happen before winter, I'm afraid."

Nathan turned and looked at Elizabeth. "You know I'm working today, and probably tonight? I'll need to be available."

Elizabeth nodded and leaned up to kiss him. "I know."

He took one last gulp of his coffee and took her hand. "Come talk to me while I change," he said softly.

While Nathan washed and set out his red serge, Elizabeth sat on the bed and watched him. He was talking about the trappers and some Native families up in the hills, not to mention the elderly people on the fringes of town that would need to be checked on.

Elizabeth sighed softly, in part because of her ongoing worry for him, but also just at the sight of him. Muscular, long-limbed, effortless in his movements, so familiar to her now, but no less a wonder. That she had ever been shy around him in these moments was now a distant memory. She was so absorbed in watching him that she didn't realize she was staring.

Nathan had stopped talking and was now tilting his head at her with an eyebrow raised. "If you keep looking at me that way, Elizabeth, I'll resign right now and never leave this house..." He walked to her, partially dressed, and lifted her into his arms. Without another word he kissed her, and she responded in kind, her knees going weak. It took them both a few moments to realize that someone was knocking at the bedroom door.

Nathan moved his lips from hers very reluctantly, and took a breath before answering. "Yes?" he said in a casual tone.

"Dad, Judge Avery is on the phone," Allie's voice came through the door. "Should I tell him you'll call him back?"

Taking another deep breath, Nathan still held Elizabeth tightly to him. "No, Allie. Thank you. I'll be right out." He leaned down and kissed Elizabeth again, not yet able to let her go. Then he exhaled and whispered, "Duty calls."

"You'll have to come home sometime. I'll be right here waiting," she said breathlessly into his ear.

Nathan's eyes closed and he sighed. "Oh, angel, you're killing me," he whispered. He kissed her once more and then let her go with great effort, moving toward the bedroom door.

"Nathan," Elizabeth said, stifling a giggle. "You should probably get dressed first."

He looked down and realized he was only wearing his shirt. Smiling at her, he said, "Probably a good idea."

Twenty minutes later, she watched him ride away. Sipping her tea and partially listening to Rosemary, she watched him through the windows as he rode to Lee and Rosemary's and then took off toward town. She kept her eyes on him until he disappeared into the white haze that was rapidly forming around the buildings at the corner.

Bill was meeting Nathan at the Mountie office and they would ride together around the perimeter of Hope Valley, making sure people had what they needed for a few days. The older people wouldn't be able to make their way into town through more than about a foot of snow unless they had horses, and not all did.

Elizabeth was grateful that Bill and Nathan always rode together at times like this. It was another thing she appreciated about Nathan. Jack seemed almost to relish venturing off alone on Sergeant, riding into danger in the dark or in severe weather. Nathan had no problem asking for assistance, and Elizabeth knew that Bill would always have his back.

But of course it was still never easy for Elizabeth to watch her husband ride off into the mist.

Out on the road from Hope Valley to Brookfield, the wagon was stopped. Chuck had expected snow, but he hadn't expected it to come in this fast. The wheels were laboring through five inches of mud and snow in spots and it was nearly impossible to see the road ahead of them.

He turned to Grace. "We need to make a decision," he said.

"It's only going to get worse, isn't it?" Grace said, huddled into her blanket to protect her head from the snow.

"Yes," he said. "So, we either shelter here in the wagon and wait until someone comes by, or we unhook the horses and ride in. Have you ever ridden bareback, Grace?"

She looked at him sideways, raising her eyebrows. "You taught me to ride for the first time with a saddle just this spring, remember?"

Chuck nodded, and smiled at her. "And you were a quick study."

"How far will we need to ride?" she asked.

Chuck turned to her, "Whiteout conditions make it hard to tell where we are, but luckily..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a compass, "...I'm prepared."

Grace laughed softly and raised her chin. "Well, if I had to get stranded in a snowstorm, I'm glad it was with you."

Chuck smiled at her and said, "You're a brave girl, Grace." They both looked at each other for a long moment.

She'd gone on a trip in the early summer and before she'd left he'd told her how much she meant to him. When he asked her if she felt the same, Grace had simply leaned up and kissed him.

They'd been alone since then, but he'd never felt brave enough to revisit that kiss. Now, he wasn't sure he could stop himself.

Chuck moved closer and kissed her, feeling the cold of her cheeks as the snow dropped and melted on their faces. He looked at her again and used his thumb to move an unmelted flake from her cheek.

"I've really enjoyed these two days, Grace. Snowstorm or not," he said softly.

Grace nodded and smiled. "I have too."

Sighing, Chuck said, "But now, we should go." He looked into the back of the wagon and said, "If you can pack up some of that food to bring with us, that would be good. And all the dry blankets. I'll unhitch the team."

Within just a few minutes, Chuck was astride one of the horses and had the other lined up next to the wagon. "C'mon over," he said, and helped her on. Her skirt and petticoats were immediately soaked from the horse's wet coat, and she covered herself with the blankets to try and stay warm.

"You okay?" he said.

Grace smiled and gave him a thumbs up, but as usual, she was putting on a brave face. She'd been through a lot in her young life, and she knew the only way to get through things was one step at a time. Gripping the horse with her shivering thighs to stay on, Grace took the reins and followed Chuck into the white world ahead.

They weren't aware that Constable Gabriel Kinslow was riding toward them on the same road, and that they were now only about ten miles apart. Chuck and Grace didn't know it yet, but thanks to Nathan Grant's wire to the Brookfield Mountie office, help was already on the way.

Elizabeth's dinner party didn't quite go as planned, but as she looked around the table, at least the numbers hadn't changed drastically.

Lucas and Julie decided to stay in town, but in their places were Hickam and Kevin who came over with Lee once it got dark at the Coulter's new house. They had installed all the windows and exterior and interior doors, and tomorrow would start on the floors.

Lee and Rosemary just gave in and agreed to spend the night. Their car was safely out of the snow, and they'd be over at the new house early anyway.

Halfway through dinner the phone rang. Elizabeth ran to it and sighed in relief at the sound of Nathan's voice.

"Sorry we're so late, angel," he said, sounding exhausted. "The Millers and a few others needed staples so we got them at the Mercantile and then went back to deliver them. Margaret Cooper needed wood brought in. One of the trappers is still missing, but we'll head out in the morning to look for him. Probably holed up in a cabin out there."

"Grace and Chuck?" Elizabeth asked, her heart in her throat.

"Gabe rode out and found them. They did the smart thing and left the wagon on horseback. They rode toward Brookfield and Gabe ran into them a few miles out of town." Nathan laughed softly. "Grace wanted you to know she's sorry she had to leave most of the food, but that there will probably be some bears enjoying Archie's birthday cake under the cover of the wagon."

Elizabeth laughed. "Well, we weren't going to finish it anyway. I'm glad _someone_ is enjoying it. Are you coming home?"

"Yes. Bill says he wants you to save some of Gustav's Chicken Surprise for him. We're pretty wet and tired."

"Come home, my love. We'll take good care of you," Elizabeth said softly.

"You always do, angel."


	74. Chapter 74

The snow didn't stop.

By the time everyone at the Grant farm woke up, there were drifts up to the edge of the porch and the pond had all but disappeared under the blanket of white. And it was still falling.

Elizabeth had hoped to teach today, but even if she could get to the school, she knew many of her students couldn't. First thing, she called Fiona at the switchboard and together, through a combination of the telephone and neighbors, they got in touch with all but a couple of Elizabeth's students. She assigned them extra reading and an essay on "What Snow Means To Me," and she said she hoped that they would all be able to see each other tomorrow.

They had an early breakfast, as Lee and Archie wanted to start work next door. Nathan was meeting Bill for more rounds and to check on the trapper who was missing. Elizabeth also asked them to stop by the farms of the two students she'd been unable to reach about school being cancelled.

Lee took one last sip of the good, hot coffee. "You ready, Arch?" he said to Nathan's father. Archie was sitting with Jack and Allie finishing up his breakfast. He raised a fork and nodded.

"Thanks for taking care of my two girls, Elizabeth," Lee said, putting on his coat. He gently lifted Violet from Rosemary's arms and kissed his little girl tenderly. She reached a tiny hand up and rested it firmly on his cheek. "Oh, not that..." he groaned as he closed his eyes and sighed.

Rosemary laughed softly and looked at Elizabeth and Nathan. She mimed wrapping something around her little finger, and Elizabeth laughed, saying, "That didn't take long."

Nathan was standing nearby in his red serge finishing his coffee. Lee turned to him and said, "Leaving Rosemary every morning was hard enough. Leaving both of them is nigh on impossible." He moved Violet's little hand from his cheek and kissed it.

"Tell me about it," Nathan said, pulling Elizabeth into a hug and looking back at Allie, Jack and Archie.

Lee gave Violet one last hug. "So, how do you do it?"

Nathan smiled at Elizabeth. "I think about how great it'll be to walk back in the door and see them all again," he said.

Lee nodded and sighed. "Okay, I'll try that." Hugging Rosemary, he said, "I'll be right next door, sweetheart. We'll come back here for lunch. Don't you try to bring anything over, okay?"

Rosemary pouted a little. "We're going to watch you every step of the way through the window. You be _careful_, Lee Coulter." She frowned. "How soon will we be able to get a telephone over there?"

Laughing, Lee said, "Let's start with a floor, Rosie. Then we'll work on the phone." He kissed her and buttoned up his coat.

As he passed Nathan, Lee clapped him on the back, saying, "Be safe today."

Archie got up to join Lee, and Elizabeth said, "Stay warm, you two. Come back over to sit by the fire once in a while."

Lee nodded. "Thank you. I think we'll be able to keep it pretty warm over there with the fireplace." He gave Elizabeth a quick hug. "In fact, we're stealing some of your wood on our way out. Allie said we could use her sled." Lee winked at Allie and went through the back door.

Archie and Lee were glad for the snowshoes, as now the path between the houses was covered in nearly two feet of snow. It was easier in the snowshoes, but still felt much longer than it had when they'd been walking on the grass just two days ago.

Lee looked up at his new roof through the falling snow. "Just in time," he said to Archie. He shook his head, thinking about how he would feel if the entire unfinished house was filling up with snow right now. Instead, it was waterproof, dry and ready for the floorboards to be sanded and then stained. He could never have done it without the good people of Hope Valley.

Archie seemed to read his mind. "Quite a town you have here, Lee. Never seen anything like it."

Lee nodded. "Yep. It's pretty great."

Rosemary stood in the window as she had promised. "You see your Daddy, Violet? Maybe if we wave to him he'll turn around." Rosemary took Violet's hand and placed it up against the window. Feeling the cold, Violet put her face there too, and Rosemary laughed. "Does that feel good, sweetie?" Just to see how it felt, Rosemary put her face on the glass too and made funny faces at Violet, making her laugh.

Elizabeth and Nathan stood and watched from the kitchen with their arms around each other. Elizabeth whispered to him, "Is it wrong that I hope Gabe doesn't find Violet's mother?" She nodded to him, "Or her father?"

Nathan pulled her closer, speaking very softly. "Gabe keeps coming up with dead ends." He peered at Elizabeth, "That's just between us. I don't want Rosemary and Lee to have false hopes. You can hit dead ends and then all of a sudden the whole thing comes together, so we just don't know yet."

Elizabeth sighed, affectionately watching Rosemary at the window with Violet. "Well, I know what I'm praying for."

He nodded. "I know. But try to think of it this way. If we find out how she was abandoned, we tie up the loose ends and Lee and Rosemary can adopt Violet legally. If we can't find them, there's always the chance that one of them may come looking for her..." Nathan looked down at Elizabeth. "...the way Caleb came for Allie."

Just remembering sent a shiver down Elizabeth's spine, and with that came the memory that Bill had no recourse but to award custody to Allie's natural father. Luckily, Caleb had wanted money much more than he'd wanted his daughter.

She looked up at Nathan. "I wonder if it could turn out the same way?" she said tentatively. "They must have been desperate to drop that sweet little girl in front of the orphanage door in the winter."

Nathan gave her a soft smile. "Maybe." He looked outside. "Once this snow lets up, I may spend a couple of days in Brookfield helping Gabe with the search." He swallowed the last of his coffee. "But for now..." he said, setting his cup down and turning to her, "...I have to say goodbye to my beautiful wife for the day."

He looked in her eyes. "How should I do that, do you think?" Nathan tenderly took a curl from her forehead and brushed it back from her face.

Elizabeth smiled. "Well, I should think that a kiss might be required..."

Allie looked from the harvest table to the kitchen and made a face to Jack. She whispered, "Don't turn around, Jack, they're getting mushy again." Of course, it was the first thing Jack did.

"Kisses!" Jack said at the top of his lungs. Considering it was one of his favorite things, it wasn't surprising that he wanted in on some for himself.

Nathan laughed and walked around to the table, lifting him up in one quick movement. "You want some?" he said, burying his face in Jack's neck, "Kisses!"

Elizabeth knew she would never take this for granted. The vision of Nathan in his full red serge, every inch the formal, steadfast Mountie, dissolving into the laughter of childhood. It could happen so fast. One minute talking about a very serious investigation, and the next cuddling with Jack and making Allie giggle.

Elizabeth sighed deeply. She couldn't love Nathan more. How she could ever have been confused about that was beyond her now. He was everything she needed, all parts of him; the loving father, the brave Mountie, the passionate husband.

Elizabeth's hands went protectively to the place where their child, possibly their _children,_ were growing inside her. Nathan had been honest with her about his fears, and though Elizabeth knew she could be headstrong and independent, on this subject she had promised herself _and_ Nathan that she would follow Carson's instructions to the letter.

If these were twins, and they would probably have an idea about that in a couple of months, Elizabeth had promised to have them at the hospital in Hamilton. Nathan knew that would subject him to the scrutiny and judgement of the Thatchers, but all of them had agreed that there was nothing more important than the safety of Elizabeth and the babies.

Elizabeth was trying to take one day at a time and she was absolutely committed to letting go into God's plan for her. Looking over at Nathan with the children, and Rosemary at the window, she knew she wasn't alone.

Nathan kissed Jack and Allie and went back into the kitchen to say goodbye to Elizabeth. "Bill is going to have my head," he said, pulling her into a warm hug.

"Tell him it was my fault," Elizabeth said, leaning up to kiss him.

"I was already planning to," Nathan said, grinning.

Elizabeth tucked a note into his pouch. "This is the homework assignment for Margaret and James. They were the only ones we couldn't reach."

"Helloooo the house!" came Julie's voice through the front door. Lucas was behind her, both of them bundled up against the still falling snow.

They stomped their boots and brushed as much off their coats and hats as possible before closing the door behind them. Elizabeth made a mental note to braid a rug for just inside the front door, now that winter was here.

"Good morning!" Elizabeth said. "Did you come for breakfast?"

Lucas gave her a slight bow of his head. "No thank you, I'm only providing the transportation. Your sister started to walk out here and before she was completely buried..."

"...he swooped me up like a knight in shining armor!" Julie said, laughing.

Lucas smiled at Julie, "It was a bit less dramatic than that." To Elizabeth he said, "I walked her to the livery and put her on my horse."

"Oh, what's a little snow?" Julie said, waving her hand in the air. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Rosemary came around the corner from the living room and Julie said to Violet, "Oooh, how's my little pumpkin?" She warmed her hands by rubbing them together. "May I?" she said to Rosemary.

"Perfect timing," Rosemary said. "We spent the night last night and I either need to make my way home for more clothes, or borrow some of Elizabeth's. Do you mind watching Violet for a while?"

"What a question," Julie said, taking Violet in her arms.

Elizabeth said to Rosemary, "I'm going to see Nathan off. Just go into my closet. Whatever you want..." She made a face and Rosemary could practically hear her say: _None of them fit me anymore anyway._

Lucas said, "I'll take my leave. The saloon is full. Everyone staying warm, I suppose." He turned to Julie, holding Violet. Leaning down, he kissed Julie softly on the cheek. "Let Fiona know the minute you want me to come back and pick you up." He raised his eyebrows in a warning. "Don't you _dare_ try to walk. We all know how brave you are. No need to prove it to us. Promise?"

Julie batted her eyelashes at him. "Promise."

He pulled his collar up and went out the door.

From the window, Julie watched Lucas get on his horse and ride back toward town. Violet watched too, with wide eyes, as the snow fell outside.

Turning around, Julie looked at what had just been a fairly busy scene. Now Lucas had left, Rosemary was in Elizabeth's bedroom, Allie and Jack were playing in Jack's room, and Elizabeth and Nathan were in the mudroom.

Julie listened to the sound of the crackling fire and turned to Violet. "We sure know how to clear a room, don't we, pumpkin?"

Elizabeth stood with Nathan in the mudroom where his blue wool coat and his campaign hat were hung.

Before buttoning his coat, he wrapped her inside it and she put her arms around him underneath the wool fabric. It was much colder out here beyond the reach of the fires.

But they were alone, and that didn't happen very often. Nathan bent and kissed her, slowly. "What I said to Lee is true, you know. When I get to missing you, I imagine what it will be like when I come home." He pulled her closer. "I was never like that before."

"You need to keep your mind on your job," she said into the red serge of his tunic. "Sometimes it's dangerous."

"I always focus when I need to," he said softly. "I'm not sure you realize how much of my day is filled with waiting, watching, riding, establishing a presence. How many times have you seen me standing outside the office, leaning up against that post?"

Elizabeth smiled. "And how many times, from the very beginning, did I wave to you while you stood there?" She laughed against his chest. "Do you know how often I changed my route, just to see if you were there so I could wave?"

Nathan exhaled. "I wanted to think so." He laughed softly. "We didn't always communicate very well back then."

"Well, you knew how to hide your feelings, and I was afraid to express mine. But..." She pulled away and looked up at him. "You took my breath away most days standing there."

Allie opened the back door. "Dad, Judge Avery wants to know if you've fallen down a hole." When Nathan tilted his head at her, Allie put her hands up and said, "His words, not mine."

Nathan laughed, "Is he still on the phone?"

Allie shook her head. "Nope. He said, 'tell your Dad to kiss Elizabeth and get on his horse.'" Allie laughed. "He's funny."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you _like_ his jokes." Smiling, he said, "Thanks, Allie."

"No problem," she said, closing the door.

Elizabeth was laughing softly into his chest. She looked up at him. "I love you. Be safe..."

"...yes, I'll come home to you," he said, finishing her sentence. "As soon as I can. And I love you, too, angel. Not sure you'll ever really understand how much."

She kissed him again and then reluctantly pulled herself out of the warmth of his coat. "I have a pretty good idea," she said, smiling.

Elizabeth stepped back and helped Nathan button up his coat. He placed his hat squarely on his head and stepped outside. She watched him through the mudroom window as he made his way slowly through the drifting snow to the stables to saddle Bear.

Elizabeth saw him turn and wave. She waved back, and then went inside. By the time he rode by on his way to town, Elizabeth was starting a cup of tea with Julie. Allie was back out at the table working on her essay for school.

Elizabeth scooped Jack up to watch Nathan leave. He saw them in the window and waved again, and Jack said, "Dad. Bye. Horsey. Bye."

Elizabeth laughed softly and looked at Jack. "Bye, Dad. Bye, horsey."

She kissed Jack on the cheek and closed her eyes for a moment.

_Take care of him, God. You know how much he means to us._


	75. Chapter 75

Elizabeth gazed out the front window, watching the snow as it drifted up over the porch. Not able to take her walk to the school and back today, she was restless. Jack and Violet were napping, Julie and Rosemary were talking over fashion magazines at the harvest table, and Allie was doing her reading homework in her room. Making a decision, Elizabeth got her coat, hat and gloves and pulled a broom from the mudroom.

Rosemary frowned at her. "Elizabeth, what on _earth_ are you doing?"

"I'm going to sweep the snow off the porch," Elizabeth said, as if this was entirely normal behavior in a near-blizzard.

"You're... wh... _what?"_ Rosemary said, horrified.

"It's starting to drift up over the porch, Rosemary. People won't be able to get out or in. I want to keep it clear," Elizabeth said, buttoning her coat all the way to her neck. _A scarf, that's what I need, to put across my mouth and nose,_ she thought, heading back to the mudroom.

Rosemary stood and followed her. "Well, yes, that's the _very_ logical answer, but why do _you_ have to do it? It's freezing out there. Stay in here where it's warm. Lee or Archie can do it when they come back this evening," Rosemary always used her hands liberally in situations like this. She looked as if she might take off any minute.

Julie looked up from the magazine in front of her. "You're wasting your breath, Rosemary. When my sister gets that look on her face, there's no swaying her from doing just exactly what she wants to do." Julie looked at Elizabeth. "Is there, sister?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "No, not really," she said, wrapping the scarf around her face. The truth was, she was now so warm all bundled up inside the already warm house, that she couldn't wait to step outside.

Rosemary frowned and sighed, and then pulled out her last possible argument. "But... what about the babies?"

Elizabeth pulled the scarf down from her face and smiled at her friend. "I love how you're both calling them _babies_, plural. We don't know that for certain, Rosemary."

Fluttering her hands, Rosemary said, "I just have a _feeling,_ that's all."

Her friend looked so distressed that Elizabeth went to her and gently held her arms. "It will be fine, Rosemary. Babies like exercise too, in fact, they need it. I won't overdo. I just need to do something... I need to..."

Julie stood and joined them, putting her arms around both. "You need to not think about Nathan out there doing what he does so well, helping people. If he's out in the cold and the snow, you need to be too, if only for a little while," she said softly.

Elizabeth looked at Julie gratefully. Her voice was almost a whisper. "Yes."

Rosemary took a deep breath and nodded. "Well, alright then," she said, wrapping the scarf back around Elizabeth's face. "The minute you feel cold, or you're tired, you come back in. And we're going to watch you from the window."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said. "It won't take long."

She stepped outside and immediately the feeling of claustrophobia eased. Elizabeth knew she really was an outdoor person at heart, and though winters were very beautiful, they were hard on her, keeping her housebound.

The months ahead wouldn't be easy for that reason. She'd been in her last months with little Jack in the winter, and she remembered it all very well. The worry about slipping on the ice, especially when her feet weren't always visible, just the bulk of her getting in and out of wagons and cars, needing to sit on the benches in town and coming to the realization that they were perfectly placed for her to go from one to the next before being out of breath, since her lungs were squeezed into half the space they'd been used to. And how could _two_ babies possibly...

_Stop it,_ she said to herself. _Rosemary would be grateful for one minute of that discomfort if she could carry her own child. _Elizabeth touched her stomach through the layers of clothing. _I am so very happy about this._

The snow was so dry that it was almost weightless, and sweeping it off the porch was easy at this point. If she waited any amount of time, there would be boot prints compressing the snow into small icy patches that would require scraping. Elizabeth was careful to sweep in front of her steps, and the snow flew off the porch effortlessly.

The blowing snow was icy and stung her eyes, but as she worked she warmed up and soon she felt the numbness leave the tips of her fingers. It took her some time to clear the entire porch, and the wind kept blowing more snow on to it, but every time she considered going back inside to the warm fire and replenishing her cup of tea, she thought of Nathan.

Elizabeth squinted her eyes against the unending white in front of her as she rested for a moment on the broom handle.

_Where is he now?_ He'd been out since the morning and it was now close to two o'clock. She knew that wasn't all time spent on Bear in the snow; Nathan and Bill would be asked in for coffee and warm fresh-baked bread at the majority of the farms they visited.

Most of the people in outlying areas loved their Mounties and wanted to let them know how much. Nathan would often come home from these rounds with jars of homemade jam and honey, peppered beef jerky, preserved peaches, cinnamon applesauce and other delicious gifts. He had learned not to even try to refuse them on the basis that it was "just his job." If he said no, children would be sent out to Bear to tuck things in his saddlebags while he wasn't looking and he would find them when he got home. So now, he simply smiled and said thank you, realizing that it almost did more for them than for him.

Elizabeth turned and, as promised, Julie and Rosemary were peering out the windows at her. She waved and lowered the scarf for a moment to smile at them. She was grateful that they cared so much.

She turned and swept more of the piles off the porch, and she already felt better. Exercise always did that for Elizabeth, but she was definitely feeling constricted by her waistband. She made a plan to see which of her skirts could be let out for the time being. That should take her all afternoon, and then Nathan would be home.

As she finished up, she looked again and Rosemary was holding Violet on one side of the door, while Julie held Jack on the other. Jack, especially, found Mama very amusing all bundled up in the snow. His little hand was on the glass and she went over and kissed it. Though she couldn't hear him, she knew exactly what his giggle sounded like.

_Life is good,_ Elizabeth thought with gratitude. In front of the window she brushed the snow off of her hat and her shoulders, making Jack laugh again. Then, stomping her boots, she opened the door and went inside. She couldn't wait to hold her precious boy.

Nathan narrowed his eyes and could just barely make out Bill's outline on the trail ahead of him. The snow was so thick up here in the mountains that Bear was struggling more than a little with his footing. Nathan knew how far he could push his horse, and the conditions were moving in the direction of _too far._

"Bill!" Nathan called, cupping his heavy leather gloves around his mouth so he could be heard. "We need to think about heading toward the cabin!"

Bill stopped and Nathan pulled alongside. They were both angling their heads against the snow. Bill nodded and said, "You're right."

Taking a sharp left, Bill led out toward a hunting cabin he knew well. He had sheltered there a number of times, and it was not only usually well-stocked, but it also had protected stalls for the horses to get them out of the weather.

They both knew they could ride back down, but it would be treacherous, and the fact was, they still hadn't found the missing trapper, John Sutherland. They'd been following his trapline for miles, and were nearing the end of it. Both knew from experience that when they found him, it would probably be too late, but every Mountie also had a story of finding someone just in time and saving a life. Sutherland was a husband and a father of four children.

Nathan had his own memory of being close to death and hoping to be rescued. When he had looked up and seen Elizabeth through the haze of semi-consciousness, it had seemed like a dream to him. She had become his angel that night, and he'd made a silent promise then that he wouldn't give up on people who needed his help, even if it seemed past hope.

After another twenty or so tortuous minutes, Nathan could see Bill turn toward a clearing in the trees. Nathan took stock quickly. His hands and feet were cold but not cold enough for frostbite. He was sore from a long freezing ride, but doing well. Interestingly, the most painful part of his body right now was his leg, just below the knee, where the break had occurred. It was a good reminder now, and probably always would be, to take good care of his body and not do anything foolish.

Nathan could see the shelter for the horses now, just a simple lean-to under heavy tree cover that was miraculously almost free of snow except for a few drifts. He also saw a fair amount of deadfall that he knew would serve well for a fire.

"I'll get the horses settled, you start a fire inside," Bill said, finally able to stretch out his neck under the shelter. Nathan handed Bear's reins to him, put his saddlebags and bedroll over his arm, picked up as much wood as he could carry, and walked slowly through the drifts up to the cabin's door.

It was not only unlocked, it was open. The snow had blown inside the space of about ten inches, and Nathan dropped everything on the snowy porch. He unbuttoned his coat and reached inside his holster for his pistol, just in case. Then he cautiously pushed the door against the snow that had drifted inside.

The cabin was completely dark and Nathan pulled the door open to let in some light. It looked empty, but there were dark marks on the wood floor that he couldn't quite make out. He moved to the windows and pulled up the shades, all the while keeping his gun and his eyes trained ahead of him. As the cabin filled with the diffused light from the gray outside, Nathan began to recognize that the dark marks were red, and that they were blood. They led in one direction and ended at what he assumed was John Sutherland's body, absolutely still, with the animal trap that had felled him still locked tightly on his ankle.

Elizabeth looked again at the clock on the mantel. Nine o'clock. She'd been fighting the urge to call Florence to see if she'd heard anything from Bill or Nathan, but Elizabeth knew in her heart that if any word had come down from the mountain she would be the first to know.

Of her six long skirts, she'd been able to salvage four of them by expanding the waistband with extra material from the skirt. The other two she had packed away for use after the baby, or babies.

Rosemary and Lee felt a need to get Violet home for the night, so they'd taken Sergeant and were keeping him in the livery until tomorrow when they would come back out. Julie had called Lucas at around seven and he'd picked her up on his horse.

Now it was just Jack, Allie, Archie and Elizabeth. Jack was sound asleep in bed, as was Archie after a long day of work at the Coulter's. Allie had finished all her homework and was trying her hand at cross-stitch with Elizabeth's help at the harvest table.

Elizabeth looked at the clock again, and she caught Allie's eyes looking at her.

"You're worried about Dad, aren't you?"

Elizabeth sighed and looked out the front window. Of course, in the dark she couldn't see the snow driving sideways, but when Julie had left, she'd seen that all the work she'd done on the front porch had been completely covered over.

"Your dad told me before he left that he expected the snow to be heavy in the mountains. He said if it got too bad, he and Judge Avery would seek shelter in a hunting cabin." She looked into Allie's eyes. "I expect that's what they've done."

Allie didn't say anything, and Elizabeth had to focus to realize she hadn't answered her question.

"Yes, I'm worried. It's hard not to be when you love someone. How do you feel, Allie?" Elizabeth said, reaching across and taking her hand gently.

"Worried," she said simply. "I just wish we could know where they are."

"I know," Elizabeth said. "I feel the same." She sighed.

Elizabeth had never believed in glossing over her worries or fears with children. She knew that they felt intuitively when something was wrong, and if you pretend it's not, they lose their ability to discern the world around them and stop trusting their own instincts. She never wanted to overreact, but it would serve no one to pretend she wasn't concerned.

She squeezed Allie's hand across the table. "I think we have to be prepared to go to sleep tonight without knowing, Allie. It's hard, but your dad wouldn't want us to worry or lose sleep. He knows how to take care of himself."

"But last time he was lost you went to find him," Allie said. "And he said you saved his life."

Nodding, Elizabeth said, "Yes. And that was on flat ground when it wasn't snowing hard like this. People could go up into the mountains and search, but they would likely get lost as well. Your dad wouldn't want that." She smiled at Allie. "I'm feeling all the same things you are. But for now, we need to stay here and be warm and be ready for him when he comes home."

Allie paused for a moment. Elizabeth could tell there was something she wanted to say.

"What, Allie?" Elizabeth said, frowning slightly. "You can say anything."

Allie kept her eyes down, looking at her cross-stitch. "Opal remembers Mountie Jack really well. She talks about him a lot. She said he died being a Mountie and that he was very brave." Allie looked up at Elizabeth. "I told her I think it's brave of you to do this again. To wait like this, wondering if maybe Dad won't come home the same way he did."

Elizabeth felt the tears start, and she didn't think she could stop them. But she didn't want Allie ever to feel she couldn't talk to her about things. "I'm probably going to cry a little right now, and that's okay," she said, using a napkin from the table to dab at her eyes. "I did love Jack, and I love your father very much. Being a Mountie _can_ be dangerous, but we have to know that your dad has been trained very well. He's strong and he wants so much to come home to us."

Allie looked at Elizabeth, clear-eyed, for a moment. Then she stood and came around to the other side of the table. She leaned down and put her arms around Elizabeth's neck, almost protectively. "He'll be fine, Mom. He always is."

Elizabeth reached up and covered Allie's arms with her own. "I love you so much, Allie. Thank you for understanding things so well."

"I love you too, Mom," Allie said, hugging her.

Elizabeth laughed softly and gave Allie a kiss on the cheek. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder who's raising who."


	76. Chapter 76

Nathan holstered his pistol and went to the door of the cabin, calling out to Bill. "Sutherland is in here!"

He ran back and put his fingers on the man's neck. As Bill came to the door, Nathan said, "He's still alive, but his pulse is weak."

While Nathan checked Sutherland for other injuries, Bill fell to his knees and was using the faint light to examine the man's foot. "It's a common foothold trap, spring-loaded. Swelling has stopped the bleeding. It looks like the spring is..." Bill grimaced. "...inaccessible under the swelling." He looked up at Nathan. "Even if we could, we shouldn't remove this. Looks like the trap might actually be keeping his foot somewhat stable."

"Seems like it's just his foot, no other injuries that I can find." They looked at each other and Nathan said, "We need Carson."

Bill nodded.

"Do we take Sutherland down, or get Carson up here?" Nathan asked, covering the man with a blanket.

Bill shook his head. "We have to take him down." He raised his eyebrows. "We're not only going to need Carson, we're probably going to need Kevin. This trap will need to be cut off."

Looking closely at it, Nathan nodded, and said, "Very carefully. And you're right, that needs to be done in the Infirmary." He went to his saddlebags and pulled out the first aid kit he always carried with him. Bill got a large bowl from the cupboard and Nathan poured antiseptic over Sutherland's foot and then wrapped the entire thing in bandages in an effort to keep infection at bay; although he knew it might still be too late.

For a moment they both thought through exactly how they would get Sutherland down the mountain, and there was really only one way. They both knew it, and understood what had to be done. No need for words between two Mounties.

Nathan took a deep breath. "I'll get started."

"I'll wrap him up," Bill said.

Nathan found the axe by the cabin door, grabbed some rope and cutters from his saddlebags and ventured out into the driving snow. The only good news was that now they would be heading down, and in this weather, down was always better.

He found a good spruce pine with low-hanging branches that could spread out into a fan-shape. Using the axe, Nathan cut the branches and carried them to the front of the cabin. Then, by weaving the rope through them, he fashioned a soft but firm bed. Finally, he laid thicker pieces of wood side by side and wove them together to create a pallet on which to put the bed. Now the sled was ready for them to tie on to one of the horses to pull behind them.

By the time Nathan had finished and entered the cabin again, his fingers and toes were going numb. Stomping his feet, he took his gloves off and put his hands under his arms to warm them. Making a fire was very tempting, but time was not on their side; not only from the standpoint of Sutherland's condition, but also weather and darkness.

"Sunset in about twenty minutes, Bill." Nathan said.

Bill had wrapped Sutherland in blankets and ropes securely so that he looked something like a mummy. He'd fashioned a box of sorts around the trap with sticks of firewood so that it would move as little as possible on the trip down.

"He's coming around," Bill said, "Which could be a good or bad thing. I've got some whiskey in my saddlebags. It'll warm him up and help with the pain."

Nathan was back in a moment with a flask. Bill held it to Sutherland's lips and he moaned, just barely able to open his mouth and swallow. But his breathing sounded good and Bill could feel that his heart rate was increasing. Bill gave Nathan a thumbs up and nodded.

Nathan leaned down close to his ear. "We're going to get you to the doctor, John. You're going to be fine. It might be a bit of a rough ride, but we'll get you there. You hang on. Think about Mary and Esther and your boys, okay? We're going to get you home to them."

Sutherland opened one eye and a tear slipped through. Nathan put his hand on John's shoulder. _Who knows how long he's been here, _Nathan thought. He knew he would never forget those long, slow hours in that field with cold seeping into his bones and his pain the only focal point. His experience would forever give him a deep well of compassion to draw on in moments like these.

Bill and Nathan decided that Bear was the stronger horse and would be the best mount to pull the pallet. Bill's horse was faster and much more spirited, so he would ride ahead down the mountain to get Carson and Kevin prepared for the surgery. Then he would ride back up to help Nathan if he needed it.

They both knew the trails well. And what got them through the cold, now-dark night, was that they knew there would come a moment when they would look through the trees and see the welcoming soft glow of Hope Valley.

Elizabeth had been staring into the fire for far too long, and when a log finally reached the breaking point and fell into two pieces in a shower of sparks, it startled her. She caught her breath and sat up, looking almost mechanically at the clock. The sun had set a little after eight, and it was ten-thirty now.

The rest of the house was asleep, and Elizabeth knew that she should be as well. But somehow, she felt that staying awake was keeping Nathan safe, illogical as that might seem on the surface. She felt that if she continued to send her love, her thoughts, her hopes in his direction, that it would sustain him in some unknowable way. And anyway, she knew there was no possibility of sleep for her right now.

She put her arms around herself, warding off a shiver. The room was warm, so it wasn't the temperature that caused it, but the thought of Nathan out there in the snow. She had to hope that he and Bill had found a cabin and were happily sitting by a warm fire telling Mountie war stories.

Elizabeth had sat for some time in the sunroom by the phone, but it was colder in there, so she'd moved to the living room and the big fireplace. She knew that she would hear the telephone just as well from here, and that in any case, as the hours dragged on, it would be less and less likely to ring.

Elizabeth sighed, unable to make the decision to stand up. She thought she might have one more little talk with God, although she'd been keeping up a running conversation with Him all night.

Elizabeth had always been certain with Jack that if something happened to him, she would know. That some seismic tremor would reach her, rattle her heart in her chest to let her know he was hurt or worse. But it hadn't. Jack had died and she'd been blissfully unaware for nearly thirty-six hours. Hours that she'd spent in laughter with friends, in trivial activities, in solitary musings about their future once he came home.

She had searched through those hours in her memory countless times, trying to find even the slightest notion that something may have been wrong with him. But there had been nothing.

So now, Elizabeth's certainty was gone. She would like to think that she and Nathan were so connected that a feeling would tell her if he was injured, or lost, or something far more dire; but she couldn't fall back on that any more.

Elizabeth closed her eyes. _Where are you, my love?_ she thought, and before the thought had faded, the telephone rang.

Elizabeth ran to the sunroom. The phone was starting to ring a second time when she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Elizabeth." It was Bill. And in the way time can telescope, she managed to move through a number of scenarios in the split second before he continued. "Nathan is on his way back down the mountain. We found John Sutherland, but he's injured and Nathan is bringing him on a pallet to Carson. I'm going back up to join him, but I wanted to let you know first."

Elizabeth clenched her eyes tightly shut, willing her voice to sound even. "Thank you, Bill. I was worried. I'm very glad you called."

She could almost see Bill's smile. "Somehow I thought you would be," he said. "It's pretty bad up there, but I'm sure they're making good progress. We should be back in town, oh, I don't know, in a couple hours."

Elizabeth released a long-held breath. "How badly is John injured?"

Bill snorted. "Stepped into one of his own traps. From the looks of it, yesterday or the day before. He's had a rough couple of days, but we hope he'll be fine. Not sure he'll keep the foot, though."

Sighing, Elizabeth said, "How terrible. Does Mary know?"

"I stopped off there on my way into town. They've got plenty to eat and her boys are handling the wood chopping. She was glad to hear he's alive, and she says she'll be fine," Bill said.

"Oh, good," Elizabeth said. "Bill, when you see Nathan..."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll tell him. Though not quite the same way you might do it," he said, chuckling. "I'd better get going, Elizabeth. Don't worry, you hear me?"

"I won't, Bill," Elizabeth said. "Thank you so much for letting me know."

"Go to sleep. You have babies to grow," Bill said softly.

Elizabeth laughed. "Not you, too! We still don't know if it's twins, Bill!"

Bill laughed too. "Okay, then, just grow them one at a time. But go to sleep." He paused for a moment. "And Elizabeth? I'd ride with your husband any time. He's an excellent Mountie and a very good man. I'd trust him with my life."

"Thank you, Bill. I know how you felt about Jack, and it means a lot to hear that," Elizabeth said softly.

"_Hmmmfh,"_ Bill said, in his uniquely Bill way. "Just wanted you to know. Now _sleep._ He'll be home before you know it."

Elizabeth put the earpiece in its holder. Then, releasing all of the tension of the day and night, she moved seamlessly into tears. Nathan was safe, and he was doing what he did best, but she'd been so worried for him.

"Everything okay, Elizabeth?" Archie stood in the doorway, a robe loosely tied over his pajamas.

Quickly drying her tears, Elizabeth sat up. "Yes, he's bringing an injured man down from the mountains. He should be home in a few hours."

"Well, that's a relief." Archie sat down across from her and peered into her eyes. "You've been crying."

Which, of course, brought the tears back. "I was worried," she said brokenly.

Archie walked around and sat next to her. He put his arm around her and she leaned up against him, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her robe. "I should really be better at this," she said.

"At what, sweetheart?" Archie said softly.

"Being a Mountie's wife," Elizabeth said. "We're supposed to be stoic, serene, and silent."

Archie chuckled. "Far as I understand it, you're not supposed to exist at all. Least that's what Nathan's mother told me when he first signed up."

Elizabeth sniffled, but she was smiling now. "What did she say?"

"That he'd never marry, and we'd seen the last of grandchildren," Archie said, nodding.

Elizabeth squeezed his hand on her shoulder and sat up. "Surprise," she said, tilting her head at him.

His voice was almost a whisper. "Such a _wonderful_ surprise."

Elizabeth wiped her eyes, feeling much better. She looked at Archie, frowning a little. "So, Nathan joined the Mounties when you..." She paused, unsure how to phrase it.

Archie smiled. "When I went to prison. Yes." He looked pointedly at her, not certain how much she knew. "The first time."

"Yes," she said, to let him know she knew that part of the story. "And how did you feel about that? When he chose that as a way of life?"

Archie exhaled. "In the manner of most things, it's been bittersweet. You know, Nathan being a Mountie is both a great pride to me and also a cross I have to bear."

Elizabeth frowned. "In what way?"

Laughing softly, Archie said, "Does he think I don't know that he chose this life in order to show that he was a better man than I could ever be?" Archie sighed raggedly. "And in case I didn't know it, his mother drove me from the door one night telling me so." Elizabeth was silent, waiting for him to finish. Archie looked up at her. "I heard the truth of it."

Elizabeth reached over and took his hand. "He loves this work, Archie. No matter how he first came to it. And he's very good at it."

"That first time I came to Hope Valley, I told Nathan that I imagined growing up with a father like me, and doing what he does now, can harden a fellow." Archie looked at Elizabeth. "He had that hard edge when I first saw him again, but I watched him ease up when he was with you."

"We're good for each other." Elizabeth said, smiling. "And he saved someone's life tonight."

Archie just nodded. "Well, that's good."

She smiled at him. "And can you take credit for the good just as strongly as you blame yourself for the bad, Archie?"

He laughed softly. "And there's a lifelong challenge, right there."

"For me, too," Elizabeth said.

Archie laughed in disbelief. "You? The sweetest soul on earth. What could you possibly regret?"

Shaking her head, Elizabeth sighed. "Oh, so many things. My relationship with my parents, children at the school that I've lost, things I haven't said that I should have." She smiled at him. "Things I've said that I shouldn't."

"We all have those, Elizabeth." He looked at her for a moment, thinking. "And what about with Nathan? If, God forbid, something _had_ happened to him tonight, would there be regrets for you?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and took a deep breath. She kept her eyes firmly on Archie as she thought, her mouth slightly open.

Slowly, incredulously, she began to shake her head. "No."

Elizabeth smiled, and Archie saw tears coming into her eyes again. "I've said everything I've ever wanted to say to him. He knows how completely I love him, and I have no secrets from him. The main feeling I would have would be sadness that he couldn't see Allie and Jack grow up, and..." She looked down and put her hands on her stomach. "These little ones..."

"You think it's twins, too, don't you?" Archie said softly, winking at her.

Nodding, she said, "I do." She shrugged. "I don't know why, but I do."

Smiling, Archie said, "Well, you've got some challenges ahead, believe me." He put his arm around her again in a hug. "You alright now?"

Elizabeth turned and gave him a full hug. "Yes. Thank you, Archie." She pulled back and looked at him. "I'm so glad you're here with us."

"I couldn't be happier," he said simply. He patted her arm and stood up. "Can you sleep?"

She smiled and stood up with him. "No. I'll just sit by the fire in the living room for a while. Nathan may call when he gets back into town and I want to be awake when he does."

Archie looked at her for a long moment. "He's lucky to have you."

"We're both lucky," she said, kissing Archie on the cheek.

Settling back down with the quilt over her legs, Elizabeth gazed at the fire, debating whether to put another log on it. She decided it would hold for another couple of hours and she locked her eyes on some embers. The bright orange of the fire danced and played in the grain of the wood, licking upward and then fading into the black of the coals...

"Elizabeth."

She opened her eyes slowly and thought she was dreaming. She often dreamt of Nathan in his red serge, but he never looked this tired. She reached a hand up sleepily and touched his face. "You're so cold," she said, and she was suddenly fully awake.

"Nathan!" she said, throwing her arms around him. His heavy coat had kept his uniform dry, but his hair was cold and wet. She kissed him on the neck, the cheeks, his nose, colder even than the rest of his face, and then his lips. Oh, how she loved his lips, full, and now beginning to warm as she lent her heat to them.

When she pulled away to be sure it was really him, she thought he looked much less tired than he had just moments ago. His eyes were very blue and reminded her of the dancing embers in the fire.

He whispered to her, "I've been thinking of this for hours, and I still could never imagine how good it feels to hold you." Kissing her again, he moved closer. "To kiss you..."

After a moment, Elizabeth stood and took his hand. "Come to bed. You can tell me all about it."

Nathan raised an eyebrow and followed her. "I'll come to bed, angel, but I don't think I'll feel like talking."


	77. Chapter 77

Elizabeth woke first.

The curtains were fully closed, but she could tell that the sun had just come up, and it was finally unhindered by the snow gray skies. The fact that the sun was shining on a relentlessly white world simply made it brighter outside.

Nathan was still asleep, exhausted from his long and very physical day yesterday, and Elizabeth didn't want to stir just in case she awakened him. His even breathing next to her ear was as much a comfort to her as the warm quilts that enveloped them both.

They had fallen asleep with Nathan holding her, and it seemed that neither of them had moved. His right arm lay across her shoulder and it was near enough that she could feel the soft dark hairs on his forearm tickling her cheek.

From the first night of their marriage, she'd never stopped being grateful for Nathan's presence, safe and warm in their bed. This peace, this normalcy, hadn't been a part of her time with Jack after the first few days. For that short span of her marriage to Jack, it had seemed that they were always stealing time, somehow in a race against fate.

Elizabeth closed her eyes again, though she knew she wouldn't go back to sleep. But she selfishly didn't want this feeling to end. For now, she had Nathan all to herself. He didn't have to save the town, or do all the things that needed to be done around the farm now that it had stopped snowing. He was hers, and hers alone, though she knew the household would wake soon.

_Soon_ came even sooner than she thought.

Chester began crowing from inside the barn, which then started Lizzie mooing, which then unsettled the horses, which started the chickens clucking. It was only a matter of time before Nathan heard them. Elizabeth silently willed them to be quiet.

The chickens were making noise because they were unhappy. Chickens don't like snow, but they love to go outside during the day, romping when the sun is up. So they wanted to go out in the sun, but the moment they put their little feet on the snow-covered ramp, they would turn and go back inside.

Elizabeth knew from her Farmer's Almanac that someone needed to go out and clear their ramp and also open up a space for them so they could scratch the ground. Otherwise they would simply stay inside, feel cooped up, and would resort to scratching each other in frustration.

And Lizzie was probably mooing because she needed to be milked, but there was no path cleared from the house to the barn so that Allie could milk her.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth and Nathan couldn't expect the life of the farm to stop just because they'd gotten to sleep very late and were tired.

And now, another voice was needing attention. Jack, awakened by Chester, Lizzie, and the other menagerie members, was now calling out. _Mama. Dad. Alleeee. Bumpa._ Always one to cast a wide net, Jack would take anyone who would open his door and welcome him to the world for the day.

Then whispers in the hall as sweet Allie tried to get Jack quieted so they could sleep. Then Archie whispering... and inevitably, Nathan stirred. But instead of moving toward getting up, he pulled Elizabeth closer and snuggled his face into her curls.

"You do realize we've never had a honeymoon..." he mumbled softly.

Elizabeth giggled and whispered back, "Funny that should come to your mind right now."

"Fiona had some circulars she was showing around the other day for Orcas Island. A train to Vancouver, then a boat, and we're in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but seagulls and dolphins and whales and ocean as far as the eye can see," he said softly. He reached up and moved the hair away from Elizabeth's neck and kissed her there, making her shiver.

Elizabeth sighed. "No roosters, or chickens, or horses, or children? Just us?" She pulled his arm closer around her and smiled. "What on earth would we do all day?"

"Mmmm," he said into her neck, "We'd think of something."

Now the phone was ringing, and they both rolled over and lay on their backs, laughing softly. Nathan reached for his watch on the side table and sighed loudly. "Eight-fifteen," he said.

Then the expected soft knock on the door. "Dad, sorry," Allie said. "It's Carson. He's got a problem and needs to talk to you."

Nathan put his arms over his eyes and consciously removed any impatience from his voice. It was never Allie's fault that she loved to answer the telephone. _Don't shoot the messenger._ "Thanks, Allie. Can you tell him I'll call him back in about ten minutes, please?"

"Will do," Allie said, her footsteps echoing back down the hall.

Elizabeth turned and snuggled under Nathan's arm. "You could always become a farmer, you know? No responsibilities beyond your chickens, your children, and Lizzie. And _me,_ of course."

He pulled her into his arms. "At this moment, that's very tempting," he said. Then he exhaled and said into her hair, "But then I think how much luckier I am right now than John Sutherland, and getting out of bed doesn't seem that difficult."

Elizabeth pulled back and smiled at him. "You're a good man, Nathan Grant. I love that answer."

"I love _you,"_ he said, kissing her quickly on the cheek. He gathered all his strength to let go of her and put his feet on the floor.

He dressed quickly while she watched him from the bed with soft eyes and with her hair curling around her face the way he loved it. He turned to her and whispered, trying to be stern, "Stop it." Then he smiled and kissed her and opened the bedroom door as she fell back on the pillow, laughing softly.

"Hey, Carson," Nathan said, running his hands through his hair to comb it. Archie was just getting the fires started again and Nathan wished he had remembered to put on his slippers.

"Sorry to bother you, Nathan. Just wondering if I can get some help here." Carson lowered his voice. "We can't save John's foot, and if we let it go much longer we'll be looking at gangrene moving up his leg."

Nathan took a deep breath. "And he says no."

"Yes," Carson said. "I can give him morphine and just do it if I have to, but I really don't want to do that. Bill is heading up with Molly to bring Mary down while Molly stays with the children, but I'm wondering if there's any way you can try to convince John that it has to be done. He knows you better than he knows me. He actually asked for you. I think your opinion would matter."

Nathan rubbed his hand across his face and sighed. "Sure," he said. "I need to get dressed." He started to say goodbye and then said, "Carson? In what capacity do you think he was asking for me?"

Carson knew exactly what Nathan was asking. "As his friend. No uniform."

"Thanks. I'll see you as soon as I can," Nathan said, softly.

He hung up the receiver and sat down heavily on the sofa. Elizabeth came into the room with his slippers and put them on the floor next to his bare feet. He squeezed her hand gratefully, and she sat down next to him. "Trouble?" she said softly, smoothing back his hair.

Nathan exhaled. "I need to try to convince a man with four children and a wife, who all depend on his work as a trapper, that he should allow Carson to amputate his foot, which will make it impossible for him to continue to do his work. And I need to do that as his friend." He put his head in his hands and leaned forward.

Elizabeth rested her head on his back. She knew there was no easy answer, and that Nathan wasn't expecting one. She put her arms around him and sighed. "You'll know what to say. Just remember that this is Hope Valley. John is a hard worker and a smart man. There are other things he can do besides trapping. Someone will give him a chance. And Mary will probably be much happier."

Nathan turned to her slowly and smiled. He kissed her gently on the cheek. "Those are all very good thoughts. And just so you know, that's another Elizabeth voice." Moving a curl from her face, he said, "That's the voice of the woman at my side, my partner in life, the one who lifts me up when things look dark."

"And all of the Elizabeths love you," she said softly. "Do you want breakfast before you go?"

Nathan nodded. "Just coffee, please. I'll get something in town."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "If you get one of Gustav's chocolate croissants, can you bring one back for me? I think it's one of my cravings, because I can't stop thinking about them."

He kissed her quickly and stood up. "I'll get you a whole bag of them."

She laughed, standing up too. "No! I already can't fit into my clothes." She raised her eyebrows as he started toward the bedroom. "Then again, I could just get my maternity clothes out of storage and I won't have to worry about _what_ I eat."

Nathan's voice came from down the hall. "A whole bag it is..."

A half hour later, Nathan rode Bear to town. Archie was shoveling the path to the chicken coop and the barn, and Allie and Jack were running back and forth from the house to the main church road tamping down the snow to make a walking path. In typical Tom Sawyer fashion, Allie had caught the eye of Anna and Robert while their mothers shopped and now all four were running back and forth, laughing and shouting joyfully.

Elizabeth had bread in the oven and while it was baking, she went out back to clear the ramp for the chickens so that she could collect their eggs.

"Thanks, Archie," she said, watching as he cleared the path to the barn.

"Oh, I love shoveling snow. Very satisfying," he said, looking up. "I'll be in the barn for a while. You let me know if there's anything you need me to do with Nathan gone."

Elizabeth smiled gratefully at him. "I'm not sure what we ever did without you," she said.

Archie just gave her a quick tip of his hat and bent back down to his shoveling.

The bread had a few more minutes and while she waited, Elizabeth walked out on the front porch. She could see that Archie had already shoveled it. Saying another silent thank you, she leaned on the railing and watched the children, shading her eyes from the bright sun and smiling at their infectious laughter. Jack wasn't really helping much, but he was definitely having fun.

Elizabeth raised her face and allowed the warmth to wash over her. After the worry and gloom of yesterday, it was like a brand new world.

As Elizabeth looked out to the town beyond, she could see Hickam pulling the plow behind Lee's wagon, running it back and forth to clear the main street for wagons and cars to get moving again.

Hope Valley was digging out.

Elizabeth turned to her right and looked at the school. After Hickam finished the town, he would drive the horses up and back on the path and the school would be accessible, so that meant she would be teaching tomorrow.

She smiled, knowing that the children would all have snow stories. They would talk about their families and how they coped, and would share tales of being inside baking cookies, reading books, playing games and sitting by the fire together. Elizabeth loved the school days after heavy snows, for although being stuck at home can be hard, it also forces families to stop all the busyness of their lives and simply enjoy each other.

Thanks to Allie, Anna, and Robert, there was now a very clear path of packed snow up to the porch. And since they obviously still had energy to spare, Elizabeth called out, "Allie! Can you do the Coulters' as well?"

She pointed to her left and Allie nodded enthusiastically. Allie took Jack's hand and all four children jumped through the deep snow like rabbits. Before long there was a fork in the path leading to Lee and Rosemary's house.

Elizabeth sighed. Did she ever feel that energetic? She remembered her bread in the oven and walked quickly back inside to take it out. By the time she came back out to check on the children, she could see Lee and Rosemary leading Sergeant back up the path. Lee was holding Violet, and she was watching the other children, listening to their laughter, completely fascinated.

"We just saw Nathan in town," Rosemary called out. She lifted her hand and held up a bag. "Gustav's chocolate croissants."

Lee pointed to the path to their house which was now almost completely flat. He laughed. "Very creative use of children as snowplows, Elizabeth. No wonder you're Hope Valley's schoolteacher."

Elizabeth laughed and gave Lee a small curtsey. "Almost unlimited energy," she said. "Archie's out back if you want to take Sergeant around. Please tell Allie to bring Jack in if he gets fussy or cold." Lee nodded and handed Violet to Rosemary.

"I'm so glad Nathan and Bill got back safely," Rosemary said, climbing the porch steps. "But poor John Sutherland!"

"Did you have a chance to talk to Nathan?" Elizabeth asked.

Rosemary nodded solemnly. "Your wonderful husband, Elizabeth. John asked him to stay and sit with him until Mary could get into town with Bill." She and Elizabeth went through the front door and after Elizabeth removed her coat and gloves, Rosemary handed Violet to her so she could do the same. "I don't know what it is about Nathan, but he's like a _rock_ in times like these. Always so... _steady."_

"I know," Elizabeth said, getting a quilt to lay on the floor for Violet by the warmth of the living room fire.

Rosemary sighed. "Bill and Mary got there right as we were going through town, and Nathan said to tell you he'd be home soon for lunch." She sat down and helped Elizabeth remove Violet's heavy sweater. "He had a phone call he needed to take in his office."

Elizabeth didn't even ask if Rosemary wanted tea; she just put the water on. The smell of fresh-baked bread permeated the entire house, but Elizabeth was very much looking forward to her chocolate croissant. She opened the bag and closed her eyes as the aroma of rich chocolate and creamy butter reached her.

When she looked up, she was surprised to see Nathan at the front door. Tilting her head, she thought how unusual that was. When he rode Bear he always came through the mudroom in back.

She knew that look. Something had happened, and he was trying to decide how to tell her. But he wasn't looking at Elizabeth, he was gazing at Rosemary and Violet as he hung his coat on the rack.

Elizabeth saw him frown and then he turned to her. There was a sadness in his eyes, and Elizabeth knew it didn't have to do with John Sutherland. "Is Lee out back?" he asked.

"Yes," she said softly. "He's taking Sergeant to the barn." Elizabeth stole a glance at Rosemary, but she was completely engrossed in Violet. Her _daughter._ Looking back at Nathan, Elizabeth's face fell and she pleaded with him with her eyes. _Don't do this._

He took a deep breath and looked back at her. _I have to. It's my job._

Elizabeth sighed deeply and said, "I'll get Lee." She went through the mudroom and headed toward the barn.

"Oh, hi, Nathan!" Rosemary said. "How's John?"

Nathan forced a smile. "He's doing as well as can be expected. Mary is with him."

"Good," Rosemary said, looking back at Violet.

Elizabeth had tried to be noncommittal with Lee, but she wasn't very good at it. When Lee came through the door, it was as if he already knew.

Nathan took a deep breath. "I need to talk with both of you," he said. Now Rosemary looked up at the sound of his voice, all of her maternal antennae on high alert. She picked up Violet protectively and went to Lee. The two of them stood together, their eyes riveted on Nathan.

Elizabeth already felt tears beginning, so she stepped back further into the kitchen.

Nathan looked at both of them, his heart breaking. Better to just say it, and then see where it all leads. He spoke softly, but clearly.

"Gabe says that Violet's grandfather came into town. He's the one who put her on the doorstep. His daughter is nineteen and unmarried, and she says she wants Violet back."

Rosemary gasped, holding Violet tighter. Elizabeth didn't think there was any force of nature that could get her to release that little girl right now.

Lee was as still as a sphinx, his eyes focused forward on Nathan.

Nathan walked toward them. "Look, this is a family in severe circumstances, extremely poor. They live in the hills outside of Brookfield in terrible conditions. There is no judge in the world who would put Violet into that house in the winter. Gabe says it's not even a house. It's more like a shack."

Elizabeth didn't think either Lee or Rosemary had taken a breath yet. They were frozen, and little Violet, so empathic, was simply staring up at Nathan with soulful eyes.

Nathan stood next to them now, and he put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Gabe sent them back home. They have no idea Violet is with you or where you live. We're letting the world take a turn, okay?"

Lee finally found his voice. "The grandfather left her on the porch, without his daughter's consent?"

"That's right," Nathan said. "Gabe says he's a reasonable man and he knows theirs isn't a life for a child. They tried for six months, but his daughter was at the end of her rope and so was he. Winter was coming and he was afraid the baby would become ill."

"Come, sit down," Nathan said, leading Rosemary to the harvest table. Lee sat down at the head of the table and Elizabeth sat next to him. Before she realized it, she had taken Lee's hand in hers, and he was holding it tightly.

"The good news is that in this situation, a child would be put with foster parents in the interim until the case is decided. You _are_ the foster parents, so she stays with you until a verdict is handed down by a judge," Nathan said softly.

"What judge?" Lee asked woodenly.

Nathan nodded. "There is no judge in Brookfield, so Bill is eligible. He's talking to Gabe right now about how he can put his name in for the case."

Nathan looked from one to the other. "I know how hard this is to hear, but I didn't think you would want me to keep all of this from you," he said. "What's important for you to remember is that nothing is set in stone. Violet's grandfather is actually on our side, but his daughter is old enough to bring a case on her own, so we need to tread carefully."

Lee said evenly, "Thank you, Nathan, for telling us. For being the one to tell us. We knew this might happen and we'll just have to take it one day at a time." He turned to Rosemary and put his hand on her face. "Right, Rosie?"

Rosemary's eyes were wider than Elizabeth had ever seen them, and the fact that she had been absolutely silent through all of this told everyone that she was probably in shock.

Suddenly she turned to Elizabeth and said softly, "You remember that little piece of my heart that I said I was keeping safe?" She looked into Elizabeth's eyes and a tear finally fell. "I don't know where it is."


	78. Chapter 78

It was understandable that Rosemary didn't want to put Violet down.

Right now Violet was sound asleep on Rosemary's chest as she sat on the sofa in front of the fire. Elizabeth put the quilt from the crib around them both without even suggesting that Rosemary should put her down in Jack's room for a nap.

Lee had gone with Nathan to town. Elizabeth was certain they were in Bill's office sending wires back and forth with Gabe.

Elizabeth had never seen Rosemary so subdued. She'd made her a cup of tea, which was now sitting cold and untouched on the side table.

She'd tried silence, but she was beginning to think that Rosemary needed to talk, and Elizabeth was debating what she could say that would be the most helpful.

"Do you remember when Caleb Butler came to get Allie?" Elizabeth said softly.

Rosemary didn't answer, she only nodded and turned her eyes toward Elizabeth to let her know she was listening.

"Before he came to Hope Valley, he was this... _thing,_ this _threat_ that was out there, somewhere. Nathan worried about it, because he knew there was always the possibility that Caleb would show up and try to claim Allie," Elizabeth said.

Rosemary didn't speak, but she kept her eyes on Elizabeth.

"When he finally showed up, it was terrible at first, but then it was a relief_. _We had the chance to get him to sign papers, once and for all. She's ours now and always will be, and that's a blessing." Elizabeth took Rosemary's hand in hers. "That fear of the unknown is gone."

Rosemary opened her lips and then closed them again. Then she took a breath and said, almost in a whisper, "What if they won't sign papers?"

Elizabeth said, "I know. It's a possibility. But you'll know the answer to that now. You won't hear from them when Violet is six, or twelve, or suddenly on her wedding day. It won't be a sword hanging over your head."

Rosemary looked into Elizabeth's eyes for a moment and then she nodded. "I was just thinking that very thing," she said.

Rosemary turned and looked into the fire, her voice almost a monotone. "When I was a little girl, I remember being so afraid of bees," Rosemary said quietly. She was rubbing Violet's back rhythmically, more for her own comfort than the baby's. "I used to run from them, screaming, and though I'd never been stung, I would magnify what I thought it would feel like in my mind. It was as if I'd been stung a thousand times before it actually happened. And when it finally did, I remember saying to my mother, 'That was what all the fuss was about? It hurts for a minute, but it's not that bad.' I remember thinking that it was a lot of wasted worry. And I told myself that when I was afraid of something, it would almost be better to put myself in its path and just get it over with, rather than worrying about it."

"Always do what you are afraid to do," Elizabeth said softly.

"Yes, exactly," Rosemary said, finally smiling. "It's how I became an actress. It _terrified_ me, so I did it."

Smiling at her friend, Elizabeth said, "You're one of the bravest people I know, Rosemary."

Rosemary nodded. "I know I'm strong. I don't want you to worry about me." Rosemary leaned down and kissed Violet's soft brown curls. "Every day since we've had Violet, I've imagined her mother coming to get her. _Many_ times a day. I've thought of it every time I've told her I love her, at every laugh, every hiccup, every cry." Honestly, it's positively _exhausting."_

She exhaled and closed her eyes for a moment. "It _is_ a relief, Elizabeth. I don't know how long I could have kept that up. While at the same time, I'm so afraid, because we might lose her. But you're right. It will be better to know."

Elizabeth squeezed her hand. "And no matter what, you have her with you through the winter, according to Nathan." Smiling, Elizabeth said, "I don't think you can fall any more in love with her than you are now."

Rosemary smiled back. "No. I can't." Violet was stirring a little, and Rosemary whispered, "If you can put the quilt on the floor, I'll put her down in front of the fire."

With Violet settled, Rosemary picked up her teacup and went to the kitchen. She poured out the cold tea and put the water on to boil. Now they could speak up a little more, and could still see Violet.

"It was a shock, is all," Rosemary said. "Lillian and Grace were _so_ clear with us." She laughed softly. "How could I think I wouldn't fall head over heels in love with that little girl? That somehow I could hold back a part of my heart?"

Elizabeth smiled and sat at the harvest table. "Of course you couldn't. You and Lee have the biggest hearts I've ever known. You're wonderful parents."

For a moment, they just looked at each other. Then Elizabeth said softly, "Please promise that you'll talk to me whenever you want to about all this? About any part of it."

Rosemary tilted her head at Elizabeth. "Be careful what you ask for." She smiled and tapped her forehead. "I'm not sure you're ready to be up in here for very long."

"Why would you say that?" Elizabeth said, frowning.

"When you sat down and I was looking at the fire? I was wondering if we could just move Violet's nineteen-year-old mother and her grandfather into our house and we could all care for her together." She turned to Elizabeth and raised her eyebrows. "How's _that_ for a really bad idea?"

Elizabeth was slightly speechless, so she just tilted her head at Rosemary and said, "Well, um, I suppose you're not ruling out any possibilities... but why would you do that?"

The water was boiling now and Rosemary poured it over her tea. Then she walked around and sat at the table.

"Think about this, Elizabeth. They're Violet's family, and they live in a... a _shack._ We take this to court, and, best case scenario, we _win_ the case. Then we keep their child and send her _only_ blood relatives back to that cold, bleak life without helping them somehow? Could _you_ do that?"

Elizabeth stared at her and put herself firmly in Rosemary's shoes. A frown started, and then Elizabeth said, "No. Not without helping."

"They don't seem to be bad people, from Nathan's description. A young girl who made a mistake, and a grandfather who had Violet's best interests in mind when he left her at the orphanage." Rosemary's eyes widened and then a tear slipped down her cheek. "It changes everything, Elizabeth. And I can't see a way out of it."

Frowning, Elizabeth said, "Not _now_. You can't see a way out of it _now_. So, let's do what Nathan said. Just let the world take a turn. And if we pray and think and look for answers, one will appear."

Rosemary took Elizabeth's hand. "You're a very good friend. I would hate to be going through this without you." She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "So, how _did_ you keep that little piece of your heart separate when Jack died? I thought I could do it with Violet, but I failed miserably."

"Violet is very different. She gives you unconditional love, and is _intensely_ loveable. Now that I think about it, I wouldn't have been able to withhold any part of me from little Jack, so it was unfair of me to think you could with Violet. I shouldn't have said what I said to you about keeping yourself safe."

Rosemary shook her head, "No, it really helped me. It's meant that I've always had the idea that this might not work out. It's been in the back of my mind as a possibility. I know it's made today easier because I almost expected it." She took a sip of her tea. "So with Jack...?"

Elizabeth sighed. "It was easier to keep a part of me separate with Jack because there had already been a number of times I'd almost lost him. I had so many memories of how it felt to think he was hurt or worse, that I knew I needed to protect myself." Elizabeth suddenly laughed. "And I know everyone thinks ours was the _perfect_ relationship, but we had arguments, Rosemary. Lots of them. There were a few times that we fought so hard I didn't think we'd make it."

Rosemary laughed softly. "Well, Jack _could_ argue."

Elizabeth turned to her, "And with Nathan it was the same. He and I had some _terrible_ disagreements early on, before we finally admitted it was love we felt. There was one time that we stood in a cabin and _shouted_ at each other." Elizabeth shook her head. "And why? Because he was afraid I would get hurt, and I was afraid I'd pushed him away for good. It was all about how much we loved each other. And I think the passion of those arguments still serve us well in our marriage."

Nodding, Rosemary said, "Absolutely! Lee and I have had some doozies, and of course we each had to be right." Tilting her head, Rosemary said, "And it's true. Nearly every argument Lee and I have had has come from love."

Elizabeth smiled. "How that man loves you, Rosemary. I know everyone has told you how he sat by your bed when you were ill. But there really is no way to describe the emptiness in his eyes when he thought he might lose you." Taking her hand again, Elizabeth said, "And in yours when Lee's been in danger."

Rosemary nodded and laughed softly. "I do love that man. When he's not driving me crazy." Then she frowned. "What do you think about Lee, Elizabeth? About how he's taking this?" Rosemary said, looking over her teacup.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and smiled. "In a very _Lee_ fashion. He's a problem-solver, Rosemary. He has to be in his work, and I think it's much easier to think of this as a challenge than to let it continue to break his heart." She reached across and squeezed Rosemary's hand. "Just remember that he's a very _good_ problem-solver."

Rosemary smiled and nodded. "Yes, he is."

"So, who do you have in your corner? The orphanage. Both Mounties on the case, the most-likely judge, and Violet's grandfather. That's a pretty impressive list," Elizabeth said.

Squeezing back on Elizabeth's hand, Rosemary said, "And the best friend in the world."

They sat in silence for a while, and then Elizabeth heard Jack from his room down the hall. She started to get up and Rosemary said, "Do you mind if Auntie Rosie gets him up?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Not at all. He will love seeing you after his nap."

Rosemary grinned. "Thank you." Elizabeth watched her disappear around the corner and then heard the joyful Rosemary voice she loved so much. "How's my little munchkin? Did you have a good nap?"

Elizabeth sighed. _We don't ever know how the story is going to end. _As she watched little Violet sleeping peacefully in front of the warm fire, Elizabeth knew that love would find a way.

Nathan leaned back in his chair and put his boots up on his desk, glad that the jail was empty. This had been a long day already, and although his preference would be to go home and fall into Elizabeth's arms, he knew that Rosemary was still there, and Lee was on his way out to the meadow. Nathan felt like he'd been talking all day, and right now, he needed some time to just let his thoughts be.

He loved his work as a Mountie, but sometimes it was a relief to not have everyone looking at you for answers. Especially when the questions were so hard.

Nathan started the day waking up in Elizabeth's arms, so far the _best_ part of his day. Then, working on too little sleep and still sore from yesterday, he had spent a couple of hours with John Sutherland helping him make one of the hardest decisions of John's life. And if that weren't draining enough, there was the wire from Gabe that had dropped the bottom out of Lee and Rosemary's world.

Nathan closed his eyes, feeling completely drained. Tomorrow he would go to Brookfield with Lee to meet with Gabe and take Bill's paperwork requesting the case.

Nathan had tried to talk Lee out of going, but there was nothing that would stop him. Nathan realized again that he had to remember Lee was a natural negotiator.

Lee had taught Nathan to drive a car a while ago, but Nathan didn't often get to practice. As part of the package of letting Lee come with him, Nathan got to drive Lee's car to and from Brookfield.

Normally Nathan could resist the offer, but considering he'd spent the last two days in Bear's saddle, stumbling over rough terrain on steep inclines and in heavy snow, he just didn't welcome another long ride.

Also, Nathan knew that Elizabeth wouldn't be riding a horse until late spring at the earliest. He might like to drive her to Benson Hills or possibly Union City for a night out, and before he did that, he needed a refresher.

Lee had actually wanted to get right in the car and go today, but Nathan and Bill had talked him out of it. The roads would still be rutted with snow right now, with just a few hours' worth of stage coaches, wagons and horse traffic running between Hope Valley and Brookfield. But by tomorrow morning the traffic and the good weather will have made the road easily passable in Lee's car. If they left early enough in the morning, they would get back in the late afternoon.

Nathan stretched his arms over his head and felt his muscles ache again. He looked forward to getting home to Elizabeth and feeling her strong hands on his shoulders. She always knew how to relax him.

How many years had he moved through these nights alone? After giving almost everything he had to the Mounties during the day, and then giving whatever little he had left over with Allie; then falling into bed. He could never imagine that his life could fit with a woman by his side.

Right now, he knew Elizabeth was probably sitting with Rosemary, helping her through one of the hardest days of her life. She might be talking with Archie, as always making him feel loved and a part of their family. Or perhaps she was working with Allie on needlework, or helping her to understand a passage in a book, or just talking with her about what it feels like to be thirteen. And while she did it all, she was showing Jack what it meant to be a good person and helping him to keep his heart open to life as he grew.

And Nathan was here, with his feet up, taking a moment to himself. _Because_ Elizabeth was there, doing what she always did. Offering love wherever it was needed.

Nathan took his feet down off of the desk and opened the drawer next to him. He pulled out the folded circular that Fiona had given him for Orcas Island.

It was time for that honeymoon. Long past time.


	79. Chapter 79

"So, here's a question," Nathan said.

Elizabeth gazed at him from the warmth and comfort of their bed. Nathan was standing in front of their closet in only his white shirt and his socks, and her view was compelling.

"The answer is yes," she said, purring like a kitten from the quilts. "Whatever the question is."

Nathan looked at her over his shoulder with his eyes narrowed. "One of these days _you're_ going to need to get out of the house early, and I promise to make it as difficult for you as you've been making it for me lately."

Elizabeth giggled and pulled the quilt up around her chin. "Okay, I'll be good. What's your question?"

Nathan turned back to the closet. "When was the last time you saw a Mountie in red serge driving a car?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Hmmmm," she said. "Never."

"Just as I thought," he said, reaching for his plaid shirt, his work pants and his suspenders. He turned to her and threw them on the bed. "And here's an existential question for the schoolmistress," he said while putting on his pants.

_He's got that look,_ Elizabeth thought. _A joke is on the way._

"Is a Mountie still a Mountie if he's not mounted?" He raised his eyebrow and smiled at her.

"Say _that_ ten times fast," she said, laughing.

"Not this early in the morning," he said, looking outside. It was still dark and he stopped for a moment, listening. "We're up before Chester," Nathan said.

"I remember when we were in Airdrie on Easter morning and we had to wake up before your rooster," Elizabeth said, smiling at the memory. "I thought I should go out and crow right next to his head and wake _him_ up."

Nathan pulled up his suspenders and shrugged into his plaid shirt. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, speaking softly into her ear. "And you thought it would be worth it to get out of a warm bed in the dark just to make that point to a farm animal?"

Elizabeth put her arms around his neck to hold him there. "I'll admit I didn't think it through completely." Nathan sat on the bed, since it was clear she wasn't letting go. "Why do you have to leave so early?" she pouted.

Nathan kissed her quickly. "So I can get back to you faster," he murmured softly.

She sighed. "In that case..." She released his neck, but he didn't stand up right away. "Should I make you breakfast?" she said.

"No," he said, "I don't want to wake everyone." He winked at her. "I'll just take one of your chocolate croissants."

Her scowl got him to stand and put both hands up in front of him. "I've been told not to mess with a pregnant woman's food supply. I'll see if Gustav will take pity on me. He's always baking this time of the morning."

Elizabeth laughed. "No," she said. "Take one with my blessing. I can finally go into town today after school and if I need to, I'll get more."

Nathan sat on the bed and put on his shoes while Elizabeth sat up, stretched, and reached for her robe. "I must admit, I've really missed school," she said. "I can't wait to see the children again."

Nathan turned to her. "Can you keep a close eye on the Sutherland kids? Mary said Esther is pretty upset about her dad. The boys are handling it a little better, but Thomas has gone very quiet."

Elizabeth nodded. "I will," she said. "Would it help if I stopped off at the Infirmary after school and said hello to John? Can I take him something?"

Nathan smiled and shook his head. "That's kind of you, but maybe give it a day or so. He's still adjusting." Nathan stood up after tying his shoes. "There's some good news," he said, brightening, "Lee said he's giving Jesse a stand of timber of his own to manage, so the desk job will be available. He's going to hold it for John until he's able to be up and around."

Elizabeth smiled happily. "Oh, Nathan, how wonderful."

Nathan opened the door and they started down the hall silently. When they reached the kitchen, Elizabeth got the stove started and put the water on for coffee.

Nathan continued, "Carson said there are some new foot prosthetics that are very functional. He's having one sent from Hamilton. He said John could be up and off crutches in as soon as six weeks."

Nathan pulled one of the croissants out of the bread keeper and held another one up for Elizabeth with his eyebrows raised.

She shrugged. "Oh, why not," she said. "Will you still love me when I'm as big as this house?"

Nathan took her in his arms. "I'll love you more," he said, kissing her. For a moment they stood in the middle of the kitchen holding each other, feeling the warmth of the fire seeping out of the metal stove. There was just the glimmer of light showing through the curtains, and at that moment, Chester crowed.

Elizabeth laughed into the cotton of his shirt. "And... the day begins."

A half hour later, Nathan sat behind the wheel of Lee's car. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he tried to remember back to the day last year when Lee had given him his first lesson.

Lee was sitting next to him in the passenger seat, but Nathan was talking more to himself as he bent his tall frame in order to see all the pedals and instruments. "Right pedal is the brake, middle pedal is reverse, and left is clutch. Hand throttle on the wheel. Parking brake on the left. Ten gallon fuel tank, goes about twenty miles for each gallon. Fill up wherever you find gas after you've gone about a hundred miles..."

Nathan turned to Lee who was staring open-mouthed at him. Nathan frowned. "What?"

"You just said pretty much word-for-word what I told you last year. What are you, a genius?"

Nathan looked back at him without any emotion. "No. I just listen."

Lee laughed. "I'm going to start taking you with me to business meetings so I can have a transcript of what people promise me."

Nathan raised his eyebrows and smiled at Lee. "Yeah, but I might not listen quite as closely to a business meeting. They usually put me to sleep."

Lee sighed. "Me, too."

Nathan laughed and turned to settle himself on the leather seat. He put his hands on the wheel and turned back to Lee. "You ready?"

Lee nodded and said, "As I'll ever be." He turned and looked at the front of his row house. Rosemary was in the window with Violet and they were waving goodbye. "Ah, Rosie," Lee said. He blew her a kiss and then a tiny one to Violet.

Nathan disengaged the parking brake, pushed in the clutch and lifted the throttle on the wheel, making sure to balance them evenly. The car moved forward without stalling, and Nathan turned to Lee, grinning. "Not bad, huh?" he said.

Lee smiled. "Don't get cocky..." And the car promptly stalled.

Frowning, Nathan looked down, as if the car had betrayed him somehow. "What'd I do?"

"Too much gas," Lee said, nodding. "Classic rookie mistake, but you'll figure it out. It just takes practice. So start again..."

Nathan only stalled the car twice more before they made it out of town. One time in front of the Mercantile, just as Florence Blakeley was coming out. She would have been fine if the car hadn't also backfired at that moment, and she nearly jumped out of her skin and emitted a high-pitch squeal. Nathan apologized profusely and Lee was biting his lip to keep from laughing.

Unfortunately, the second time was right in front of the saloon just as Lucas was going in. He turned and smiled with a raised eyebrow as the car jerked to a halt. Nathan smiled back and nodded, narrowing his eyes a little. _Yeah, maybe you drive better than I do, but I got the girl._ He tilted his head and gave Lucas a little salute.

Lee was right, Nathan did figure it out, and they were soon on the road. It was cold outside and both were wearing heavy wool coats, scarves and gloves. They were warm and comfortable, and Nathan felt confident out on the open road once he had geared up and could relax.

Nathan turned to Lee. "How's Rosemary doing?" he asked.

Lee shook his head. "Better than I am, I think," he said, mystified. He turned to Nathan, "Can you believe it? She's worried about the family. The grandfather and Violet's mother. About whether they'll be cold this winter."

Nathan smiled, keeping his eye on the road. "Rosemary has a big heart, Lee. I guess that doesn't really surprise me." Nathan sighed. "It's what makes these situations so hard. There are some adoption agencies who won't let the adoptive parents meet the birth parents for just this reason. It gets messy."

Lee frowned. "So why do we know about them?" he asked.

"You're not adoptive parents, you're _foster_ parents. You're on the need-to-know list."

Lee looked out at the road and sighed deeply. "What are we gonna do, Nathan?"

"We're going to take it one step at a time." He looked quickly at Lee, and then back at the road. "Do you remember when I went up north to get my father in Edmonton?"

"Yeah," Lee said, nodding.

"We never told you the story about how I found him. I was at my wits' end trying to find a missing girl, knowing if I found her, I would find Archie," Nathan said.

Lee said, "Rosemary told me about her. Her name is... Jessie, right? Same age as Allie?"

"Yes," Nathan said. "So, everything I tried was a dead-end. I had no idea what the answer was. And then I had one short conversation with the girl's mother, and I heard Jessie cared for a horse. Then that the horse had been sold. So I followed the horse and found Jessie." He smiled at Lee. "If you'd told me at the beginning of that investigation that it was all going to hinge on a horse, I wouldn't have believed it."

Lee laughed softly. "Okay, so we don't know how this situation is gonna play out, but it might get fixed by something we never expected."

Nathan nodded, surprised. "That was good, Lee. Most people wonder what in the heck I'm talking about when I tell stories like that," he said. "You understood just what I was saying."

Lee raised an eyebrow. "Not sure if that's a good or a bad thing... I speak _Nathan_," he said, making a face and laughing.

"You're in good company," Nathan said, grinning. "So does Elizabeth."

Ringing the cowbell, Elizabeth stood on the top step of the schoolhouse, saying goodbye to her students.

"Bye, Mrs. Grant," Emily said, running by. Allie was right behind her. "Okay if I go to Emily's for a while?"

"Yes, just be home by five to get your chores done before dinner. And I'm going to the Mercantile. We haven't been able to shop for a couple of days. Is there anything you need?" Elizabeth asked.

Allie grinned. "Can we make cookies tonight?"

Elizabeth gave her a hug. "I'll get extra sugar," she said, smiling.

After closing up the schoolhouse, Elizabeth walked down to the path, reveling in the combination of the cool, fresh air and the sunshine on the drifts of snow still untouched out on the meadow. The snow over the pond had all melted, so it shone in the sun like a jewel out in a sea of white.

Then, as Elizabeth turned up the path the children had made yesterday, she got to feel the same joy and pride of ownership she always did when she looked at their home tucked in front of the trees.

A curl of smoke came from the living room chimney and also the one above the sunroom. In the distance, the red barn rose up, and Elizabeth could see Archie, as always, working with the horses. He had them out of their stalls and in the sunshine, and he was brushing them as they enjoyed the warmth on their sleek coats after the recent cold days.

Elizabeth smiled. Nathan had come by his love of horses naturally. Perhaps only she could see clearly how alike Nathan and Archie were. They'd walked such different paths, but now they'd converged, and Elizabeth felt privileged to watch them find each other again.

Walking around the back, Elizabeth said hello to Archie and spent some time rubbing Sergeant's nose while she talked to him. He thought it was funny that Nathan was learning to drive a car. "Never catch me in one of those things," he said. "Not while there's a horse around."

Elizabeth hugged him and said, "I'd rather be on a horse, too. I saw enough cars in Hamilton to do me for a while. Anything you need in town?"

"Getting low on matches, if you can pick up a box or two," Archie said, going back to brushing Sarah.

"I will," she said. "I'm taking Jack with me. Allie's at Emily's, and Nathan should be home soon. See you later!"

Elizabeth and Jack walked with Laura as far as the town, when Laura turned and headed toward home. In the Mercantile, everyone was talking about the snow and telling their stories of drifts up to the windows, hot chocolate, and bundling up by the fire.

Elizabeth counted in her head and realized that Christmas was only a little less than two months away. She was gazing out the window and thinking about what songs she might choose for the choir program when she saw Lee's car coming into town with Nathan at the wheel.

Smiling, she stepped outside and waved. Unfortunately, Nathan lost his concentration and the car stalled as he was shifting down. It shuddered to a stop and she walked out looking sheepish. "Did I do that?"

Nathan looked up at her and smiled. "You can't help how distracting you are."

Lee leaned around and said, "Honestly, he hasn't done that for a _really_ long time. He's doing great!"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Well, I haven't told Bear what you were doing today. I'll leave it up to you to break it to him."

Nathan stepped out of the car and said, "I guarantee you that Bear is glad for the rest after the last couple of days." He kissed her on the cheek, and then kissed Jack. "How was school?"

"Good! We were all very glad to see each other again, and the children had wonderful stories to tell," Elizabeth said.

Lee walked around to the driver's side to join them. Elizabeth said, "Anything new?"

Lee shook his head. "Nope. We just filed the papers for Bill and got a few more specifics from Gabe about Frances and Harold."

Nathan said, "Violet's mother and grandfather," he said to Elizabeth, clarifying.

Lee nodded. "The good news is that they've agreed they aren't able to care for Violet through the winter. The bad news is that Frances has talked to Gabe about how to go about claiming her. As soon as Bill is appointed the judge, he'll grant us a continuance until March 1st. Until then, we are Violet's foster parents and she stays with us." He sighed. "Four months, just wondering. I'm trying to be grateful, but..."

Nathan raised his eyebrows and smiled at Lee. "Remember the horse..."

Laughing, Lee said, "Yeah, the horse. I'll remember." He surprised Nathan by pulling him into a hug. "No one I'd rather have on my side, Nathan. You and Bill make a man feel like he's got a whole regiment behind him."

Elizabeth stepped forward and Lee hugged her too. "Remind Rosemary that if she needs anything, I'm here."

Lee nodded. "She knows, Elizabeth. Thank you." He got into the car and started it up.

Nathan leaned down and said with his crooked smile, "Don't forget you need to _ease_ _off_ that clutch, Lee. You wouldn't want to stall it."

Lee shook his head and laughed. "Yeah, I'll try to keep that in mind."


	80. Chapter 80

The shelf must not have been completely secure on its pegs. When Elizabeth put the stack of books there, the weight became too much for it and it fell, spilling its contents down onto the floor.

Startled, Elizabeth let out a loud "Oh!" and Nathan came running.

"What happened?"

"The bookshelf..." And they both found themselves bending down, their hands picking up the same book. They looked at each other, and instantly the déjà vu made them both laugh.

This time, rather than simply touching fingers, Nathan enclosed her hand in his when he looked into her eyes.

Elizabeth gave him a tender smile and said, "Somehow I feel like I've been here before."

Nathan raised his eyebrow. "Me, too. But much as I wanted it to, it didn't end this way before..." he said softly as he leaned over and kissed her.

"Good thing. I might have slapped you," Elizabeth said, trying to look stern. "We hardly _knew_ each other."

Nathan kissed her again. "But we _knew_... didn't we?" he said, giving her a crooked smile.

Elizabeth put her arms around his neck. "We did..." Then, suddenly, she let go of him and quickly took his hand and placed it on her stomach.

Nathan's eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open. "What..." he said, looking down at his hand. His face showed all the wonder he was feeling as he looked back up at Elizabeth. _"What_ are they doing in there? Wrestling?" he said, laughing. "And _how_ are you just sitting there so calmly?"

She laughed, looking back at him. "Finally! It's happened before, but you've never been nearby to feel it," she said.

"You've told me you were feeling them kick, but I couldn't imagine..." He put his other hand up to her face. "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

Putting her hand over his on her cheek, she smiled and said, "You're so sweet. No, it doesn't hurt at all. It's just surprising sometimes. I actually love it."

The wrestling match stopped and Nathan pulled his hand away reluctantly. "What are they doing now?" he said, helping her to her feet.

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Resting, sleeping, growing..."

They walked over to the sofa and sat next to each other. Nathan was still reeling a little. He'd heard about babies kicking, but he never imagined it would be so... _strong._ And on the heels of that astonishment came the knowledge that these were _his_ children that were doing the kicking.

Nathan exhaled. It was almost more than he could process sometimes. And he'd never been happier. Nathan placed his hand gently on Elizabeth's stomach just in case they started up again.

"We need to think about getting ready pretty soon," Elizabeth sighed.

He turned to her, frowning. "What for?"

Elizabeth tilted her head. "Julie's opening night party for Le Bistro?"

The light went on in Nathan's head. "Ah. Right." Then he turned to Elizabeth and said, "I remembered."

She smiled at him with love in her eyes. "No, you didn't."

Kissing her on the cheek, Nathan said, "No, I didn't. I used to be very good at keeping a calendar, but I've gotten lazy because you're _so_ good at it."

Elizabeth laughed. "Flattery. Always a good way to go." She sighed and leaned against him. "We have some time. I just want to sit here and enjoy this for a moment."

They both turned and looked with satisfaction at the bookshelves that Nathan had just finished installing. They lined most of one wall of the sunroom, and they were exactly what Elizabeth had envisioned. She could imagine many happy hours in here, reading by the stove.

The best part was that there was still room for more books. They had donated some of their volumes to the library in town so that others could enjoy them, and now there were empty spaces on the shelves just waiting to be filled.

As a true reader and writer, Elizabeth just enjoyed being around books. The feel and the smell of them, the sound of the pages as she thumbed through them, the buttery softness of the leather that covered them. They were windows into other worlds, places she couldn't imagine, and a way to travel to faraway lands without leaving Hope Valley.

She turned and looked at Nathan, and everything she was feeling was reflected in his face as he gazed at the shelves he'd built, now filled with their combined collections. He looked at her and she nearly fell into his blue eyes. She sighed in happiness and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"We still haven't decided how we're going to sort the books," she said, looking at the volumes that they'd placed on the shelves in no particular order directly from the boxes.

Nathan kissed her head and murmured, "A discussion for another day, angel."

It was the middle of November, and Elizabeth's pregnancy was at four and a half months. They still had no absolute confirmation that she was carrying twins, but Carson was keeping a close eye on her, and he thought he might have heard two separate heartbeats just a couple of days ago.

Elizabeth didn't need confirmation, and since Nathan trusted that she knew her own body, he didn't question it either. Now when Nathan talked about little Ty Cobb, he was adding in Bernie Boland.

"So now I have an outfielder _and_ a pitcher in there?" she had said, laughing, the first time he'd called them Bernie and Ty.

Nathan had shrugged. "They can play catch..."

"Yes," Elizabeth said, "but please keep in mind that _I'm_ the baseball field!"

The piece of information that had finally convinced them had come from Elizabeth's mother. In a letter, Grace had casually said that her own great-grandmother had been a fraternal twin.

When she had next spoken to her, Elizabeth said, "How could I not have known that, Mother?"

Grace had simply said, "I don't know, dear, I suppose it never came up."

It was still a little more than four months away, but Elizabeth and Nathan had already talked about traveling to the hospital in Hamilton to have the babies.

Julie would travel with them, and Lucas had even hinted that he might join them. Elizabeth suspected his suggestion had less to do with his excitement about the twins, and was more that he and Julie felt it would be a perfect time for Lucas to meet her parents.

As far as Elizabeth was concerned, the more friendly faces to buffer Nathan from the Thatchers, the better. Elizabeth would be at the hospital, of course, and she had assumed he would stay with her parents at the big house at night.

Nathan had frowned at that suggestion. "I'm not leaving you. I'll stay at the hospital. Before, with you. And after, with _all three_ of you."

They both knew that twins added a complication and they'd talked it through with Carson and Faith at length, but Elizabeth's unrelenting positivity had crept into everyone's vision of the ending. Two Grants would travel to Hamilton, and four would come home. Elizabeth would allow for nothing less.

She listened patiently to statistics and warnings, and then she would simply smile beatifically with her arms around her growing babies. Nathan, to his great surprise, found himself sharing her vision. Realistically, but without unwarranted fear. He was beginning to understand that everything about this situation was as different from Sarah's as night and day.

So, March of 1918 was turning into a significant month for many reasons. Right about the time Elizabeth gave birth, Lee and Rosemary would be in the thick of their court case for their custody of Violet. And Allie's fourteenth birthday was the nineteenth. It was actually conceivable that all three things could happen on the same day.

Nathan's hand twitched on her stomach and his eyebrows went up. He looked at Elizabeth and leaned down so that his head rested gently near her, putting no weight on her stomach. He started whispering and once she understood what he was saying, her laughter was adding to the mayhem of movement going on under his head.

_"And... it's a line drive to Cobb. He reaches back and throws to Boland... oh, no, he's missed it!..."_

Just then, Allie came to the door of the sunroom. A grin started as she caught Elizabeth's infectious laughter. And it sounded like her dad was announcing a baseball game, though his own laughter was starting to affect his ability to speak.

Allie had no idea why they were laughing so hard, but she assumed it was another of her dad's attempts at humor. Allie shook her head, feeling nothing but gratitude that he'd finally found someone who really truly thought he was funny.

Julie was in Le Bistro, making the final adjustments for the restaurant's opening party. Looking around, she could almost imagine herself on the Rue de Marseille in one of the cafes she had loved so much in Paris. She, Lucas and Landon had spent many hours creating a look that had achieved its aim of appearing unstudied and effortless.

They had painted the inside walls white to get rid of the dark wood, and then had put a wash of yellow over it. With the lights just right it looked almost as if there was warm sunlight inside the large room.

Julie had no misconceptions about the people in Hope Valley, and she had no desire to bring too much of the big city into this lovely small town. This was not only from her own feelings about the goodness and simplicity of the people here, but also from a desire to be successful. If Le Bistro was at all intimidating or felt too chic to be comfortable, it would never make a penny.

The eating establishment she looked at now was a more romantic and elegant place than the saloon or Abigail's, and that had been entirely Julie's aim. But she also could imagine almost anyone from town or beyond choosing to eat here. She had purposely kept her prices exactly in line with both of the other restaurants in town.

In other words, there would be champagne on the menu, but it wouldn't be Dom Perignon.

"How's my favorite magician doing?" Julie heard behind her. Lucas was coming through the door from the kitchen, which was now shared with the saloon.

Julie turned and smiled beguilingly. _"You're_ the magician, not me," she said, watching him walk slowly toward her.

Lucas encircled her waist with his arms. "I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you," he said softly. He looked around him at the tiny lights that dotted the ficus trees which were strategically placed to create separate eating areas for each of the tables. "Do you remember what this place looked like when we had our first dinner here?" he asked.

Smiling up at him, Julie said, "All I remember is that I had the most charming dinner companion I could ask for."

"As did I." Lucas leaned down and kissed her. He sighed, "And _this_ is dangerous," he said, holding her close. "I might just spirit you away and leave Gustav to greet our guests."

Julie laughed softly and pushed him gently away. "I won't let you, tempting as that sounds." She straightened her apron and said proudly, "Tonight, I am a business woman, and I will not be easily swept off my feet. Even by someone as charming as you, Mr. Bouchard."

His eyes twinkling, Lucas said, "Are you excited?"

"Utterly," Julie said.

"We've heard from most of the people in town that they're coming," Lucas said.

Julie raised her eyebrows. "Never underestimate the power of free food," she said with a smile.

Lucas took her hand and began to walk through the space with her. "Oh, it's much more than that. You were right to cover the windows until tonight. I've seen people peeking in for weeks. The mystery you've created is something I hadn't considered. It's real showmanship, Julie."

She threaded her arm through his as they walked. "You only get one chance to make a first impression," she said. "I mean to make it a good one."

"I love the prints," Lucas said, looking at the framed Monets, Lautrecs and Gauguins that dotted the walls between trees. "It does have a feel of walking through a garden somehow." He pulled her closer. "As I said, magic."

Julie exhaled. "So, the ambiance is complete. What about the food?"

"Gustav has outdone himself," Lucas said. "The kitchen smells amazing. Filled with all the different canapes and creative appetizers we imagined." He laughed. "The saloon is back to serving pork and beans." Lucas raised his eyebrow. "My establishment is getting no love from Gustav tonight."

Lucas pulled a chair out for Julie so they could sit. He sighed. "I'm hoping Bill is in a better mood than he was this afternoon. He's still convinced that Le Bistro will take everyone away from Abigail's."

"And what did you tell him?" Julie asked.

"That's he's underestimating the love people have for the warmth and the familiar atmosphere of Abigail's. That there is a history in Hope Valley that was started by Abigail and continues today. It symbolizes home to so many," Lucas said.

Julie nodded. "And those sweet rolls and coffee in the morning? We can never compete with that." She adjusted the flower centerpiece on the table absentmindedly. "Nor do we want to. He'll come around," she said.

"I just hope he comes tonight," Lucas said.

"Did he say he was coming?" Julie asked.

Lucas smiled and did a fairly good imitation of gruff Bill. "Unless a better offer comes along."

Julie laughed. "Oh, he'll be here. He's too curious to stay away." She stood and untied her apron, slipping it over her shoulders. She could hear the sounds of voices out on the boardwalk.

"Showtime!" Julie said excitedly. She turned to Lucas and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him tenderly. For a moment they held there, and then Julie said, "Thank you. Not only for this opportunity, but for being here every step of the way. For having faith in me." She smiled and ran her fingers lightly through his hair. "For being such a good friend."

Lucas sighed, thinking that in this light she was the loveliest woman he'd ever seen. "I hope we're something more than friends, Julie."

"Of course we are. But we are also _such_ good friends. And that makes the _something more_ even better."

Lucas kissed her again. "Good luck, Julia," he said softly. He had taken to calling her by her formal name at times, and Julie knew it was when his heart was full of feeling for her.

"Thank you," she said. "Ready?"

"Ready."

They started at either end of the windows that looked out on the boardwalk. The shades had been down since just after Lucas acquired the building, and now they walked toward each other, opening blinds and then meeting in the middle. Lucas motioned to Landon at the kitchen door and trays of food and drink began appearing in the hands of the extra help they'd hired for the occasion. Music played softly in the background.

Julie opened the front door and stepped back. "Welcome to Le Bistro!" she said brightly. "A little bit of Paris right here in Hope Valley!"

Bill Avery was first in line. He narrowed his eyes at her and smiled pleasantly, saying, "I'll be the judge of that," as he walked toward Lucas to shake his hand.


	81. Chapter 81

Nathan kissed Elizabeth on the cheek and peered over her shoulder. She was holding Jack's Mountie and using a fine needle to fix his tiny red tunic.

"Poor little guy," Nathan said. "He's no match for Jack, is he?"

Elizabeth smiled up at him. "This is the third time I've fixed him. It's tough being a Mountie in Jack's world."

Nathan nodded. "It's that grip of his." He sat down next to her and put his feet up, frowning at the wooden figure with the red serge sadly drooping on one side and torn on the other. "I think I might look like that too, held in his little fist all the time."

Elizabeth completed a few more stitches. "All in all, probably the _most_ successful gift ever."

Nathan stretched and then rubbed his shin, grimacing slightly.

Elizabeth looked over at him and frowned. "It's hurting?"

Nathan nodded. "Every once in a while when it's really cold out, like now. Carson said it probably would." He turned to her, smiling. "You still gonna love me when I'm an old man?" he said, leaning back against the pillows. "Because it's happening fast."

She laughed and touched his cheek. "I think you might have a few good years left in you. I'll stick around at least that long."

Nathan raised his eyebrow and pulled her close to him. "That's very good to know," he said.

Elizabeth kissed him and combed her fingers through his tousled hair. He'd been out chopping more wood for the stoves and his hands and face were cold, but he was otherwise warm from the exertion.

Looking into his eyes, she said, "Do I say thank you enough? For how well you take care of us?"

He smiled softly at her. "You thank me all the time. Even when you don't say it, you look at me like you're looking at me now, and I feel like the richest man alive."

Nathan kissed her tenderly and she dropped her sewing to put both hands on either side of his face. His skin went from cold to warm under her fingers. For a long moment, they got lost in each other, with the crackling of the wood in the stove the only sound in the sunroom.

It was Saturday. No school, no emergencies, Archie in the barn, Allie at Hattie's, and Jack napping. The weather was beautiful, and as soon as Jack woke, Elizabeth was planning to walk to Rosemary's so that he could play with Violet.

Elizabeth sighed and put her head on Nathan's shoulder. "Have you noticed what a soft spot Jack has for Violet? Did you see them last night at the restaurant? He... _protects_ her."

Nathan looked sideways at her and smiled. "You and Rosemary aren't planning an arranged marriage, are you? Because I don't think those work out very often."

Elizabeth made a face at him. "No-o-o," she said. Then she looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "Nothing in writing..."

Nathan laughed softly. "Yet." After a pause, he said, "First, we need to make sure Lee and Rosemary can keep her." Nathan sighed. "I'm closer to this case than I think I've ever been in my work, except for Dad and the necklace. It's a lot harder when you know everyone involved, and you care so much about the outcome."

Elizabeth looked out the window. It was very comforting to look across the white meadow and see smoke drifting out of the Coulters' chimney. It had taken them some time to finish the house, but now that it was done, they were moved in and comfortable.

Elizabeth took a deep breath.

"I need to tell you something. But I need to tell _you,_ not Constable Grant." She looked up at him and smiled. "Can you ask the Constable to step out of the room, please?"

Nathan looked at her for a long time, thinking. Finally he spoke, using his Mountie voice. _Yes, he has voices too, _Elizabeth thought. "Does this involve murder, mayhem, fraud, theft, or some similar manner of heinous activity?"

Elizabeth kept her eyes on him evenly. "No. It involves someone you love and care about wanting to do something that may not be very smart."

"Okay," he said, exhaling, and slightly nervous. "I'm the only one here. For now."

Elizabeth thought she would just jump in with both feet. "Rosemary wants to go to Brookfield and find Frances and Harold and talk to them. She can't stand the idea that Violet's only blood relatives are living in a shack in the snow. She wants to help them. Maybe find them a warm place to stay."

Nathan narrowed his eyes, thinking through what she had just told him. Once Elizabeth saw that it had been assimilated, she added, "And she wants me to go with her."

Nathan turned quickly. "Absolutely not." He stopped himself, taking a breath. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it that way. But, Elizabeth," he said turning his body to face her on the sofa, "You're not just traveling for one anymore. There are three of you. And all three of you are more precious to me than my own life."

Elizabeth turned to face him as well. "I understand that, and if you weren't a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, I would ask my husband to come with us. But I know you can't do that."

Nathan took a moment to calm himself down. "Okay, let's back up. What does Rosemary hope to accomplish?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "She's not sure. She just says that every time she looks outside and sees the snow on the ground, and she looks at Violet, warm and cozy in their house, she can't stand it."

"And what does Lee say?" Nathan asked.

Elizabeth was silent. She just kept her eyes on Nathan.

Nathan took a deep breath. If there was one thing he knew, his wife had strong opinions. From the early days when they'd sparred on a number of subjects, he'd known that she was not the kind of woman who would simply do what her husband told her to do - and Nathan had no desire to be that type of husband anyway. The few times he'd tried giving Elizabeth orders before they were married had not gone well.

Nathan spoke very softly, still looking her in the eyes. "Tell me how you feel about all this. About doing something potentially dangerous, and about getting in the middle of Rosemary and Lee."

Elizabeth paused. "She's my best friend, and she's asked for my help. Rosemary has always been there when I've needed her. She feels so strongly about this, Nathan."

He took her hand in his. "She has to tell Lee, angel. I would be beside myself if you went off to do something like this without telling me."

"Lee said he wants to trust the law and let the case take its course. As far as he's concerned, they have Violet until March and they should just let things be."

"That's a smart position, Elizabeth. A lot of things can happen between now and March," Nathan said.

"Yes," Elizabeth said, her voice rising. "Frances and Harold could get sick, or freeze to death. Rosemary can't live with that."

Nathan looked at her, his eyes soft. "And neither can you."

Elizabeth frowned. "No." She knew she was repeating herself, but she wanted him to understand. "They are Violet's _only_ relatives."

Nathan looked at her. "I know you, and if you feel strongly about this, you'll want to go." He smiled. "Even if I tell you to stay put. We've had this discussion before, if you recall."

She did, and she smiled too. "But now," she said, putting her hand on her stomach, "It's not just me. You deserve a say in this. I would never go without talking to you about it."

Nathan took a deep breath, thinking. He looked over at Lee and Rosemary's house as if the answer might be found there.

Finally, he spoke. "What if the four of us sit down and discuss this together?" Nathan said. "It's possible we can arrange a meeting with Harold and Frances without crossing any lines. We can all go. Would that work?"

Elizabeth smiled, her eyes twinkling. "Only if I get to see you drive."

"We might be able to arrange that," he said, smiling.

"And after Bernie and Ty make their appearance, maybe you can teach me how to drive, too." Elizabeth said.

Nathan laughed. "I thought you didn't like automobiles?"

"It wouldn't be a bad thing for me to know how," she said. "Just from an academic standpoint."

"It's a deal," he said. "And I'll find a time to talk to Lee today or tomorrow."

Elizabeth leaned up and kissed him. "I love you."

Nathan moved the usual escaped curl behind her ear. "Thank you for telling me about all this. And I love you, too."

They both leaned back on the couch and took a breath.

Nathan picked up the mended Mountie from her lap. "Jack's still napping?" He looked at the clock. "It's later than usual."

"The party last night did him in."

"Me, too." Nathan said. "Way past my bedtime, but it went well, I think. Julie and Lucas were pleased."

"Yes, very," Elizabeth said. "So, I saw you talking to Bill last night." She turned to him. "Do you think it will hurt Abigail's business? I'd hope the town can support three different restaurants, with as fast as it's growing." She snuggled into Nathan's neck. "I must say I'm looking forward to a dinner there, just the two of us."

Nathan raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Mrs. Grant. Are you asking me out on a date?"

Laughing softly, Elizabeth said, "Why not? I'm a modern woman."

Pulling her closer, Nathan said, "In that case, I accept. Sometime next week? It's great having Dad here, because we don't have to worry about whether Allie is old enough to have Jack on her own. I'm not sure she is quite yet, but _she_ thinks she is."

Elizabeth nodded on his shoulder. "I agree. I'm sure she'd be fine, but I like that he's here, too." Elizabeth was reminded of something and sat up again. "What would you think about inviting Stella and Jessie for Christmas?"

Nathan looked surprised, but he said, "I think that would be great. You wouldn't mind?"

Elizabeth frowned. "Why would I mind?"

"Well, you haven't even met them yet, and I assume we'd be asking them to stay here?"

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "You and Archie have met them. I think I could be satisfied with you as references." She leaned back and looked out at the snow, and beyond to the Coulters' house. "We're so lucky, Nathan, surrounded by so many people who love us. When I think of them alone up there... I just think people should be with people at Christmas. And I think Jessie and Allie would get along, with their love of horses."

"I'll ask Dad what he thinks." Nathan smiled and looked out at the snow-covered trees. "Do you remember when you helped us pick out our tree last Christmas? Allie ran on ahead and you and I walked through the trees talking?"

"I'll never forget it." Elizabeth blushed suddenly and Nathan turned to look at her.

When she tried to hide her face, he lifted her chin with his finger. "Don't close that window, angel. What are you thinking?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I just... I think that was the first time I was truly aware of you as a... man... not Allie's uncle, not Hope Valley's Mountie, but as _you."_ Elizabeth turned and looked at him with soft eyes. "You looked very handsome that day, and there wasn't much room there between the trees. We kept brushing up against each other..." Elizabeth laughed, feeling her cheeks warm again. "I don't remember making much sense. I would look into your eyes and forget what I was saying." Elizabeth laughed and put her face in her hands. "That was such a confusing time for me. So _many_ feelings..."

Nathan nodded, holding her tightly. "For me, too. When I said there was nowhere else I'd rather be, I really meant it. And..." He shook his head, remembering, "I'd already said yes to the Inspector posting. If I'd gone... all this..." Nathan looked around the sunroom and ended by looking at Elizabeth. He sighed.

"But you didn't go."

"No. Thank God." Nathan kissed her, for a moment imagining what his life would have been like in Union City. When he pulled away, he had realized something, and he looked at her intently. "I would have come back, Elizabeth. No matter what I believed about you and Lucas, or whether you were ready to love someone else after Jack... I would have come back. I never would have stopped loving you. Here or in Union City."

He was so earnest that she reached her hand up and held his cheek. Elizabeth tilted her head. "Sometimes I think that no matter what path we took, it would have led us here. All that wondering, week to week about whether we would finally say what we felt. When two people are meant to be together, it doesn't matter how long it takes, does it? It's inevitable. I feel that way about us."

"Oh!" Elizabeth said suddenly, her eyes bright. She took Nathan's hand and put it on her stomach. His eyes never left hers as he breathed deeply, feeling the life that was moving in her.

And just that moment, from down the hall they heard, _"Mama. Dad. Aleee. Bumpa."_

Nathan stood up, and Elizabeth laughed suddenly. "I know Jack will be a little older in March, but Nathan... _three _of them? Are we ready for this?"

Nathan leaned down to kiss her, grinning. "Ready or not."


	82. Chapter 82

Elizabeth looked down at Rosemary sitting on the floor. "You know," she said smiling, "Hemming a dress is something that is so difficult by yourself and so easy with a friend."

Rosemary tutted and looked up. Mumbling precariously around the pins in her mouth, she said, "Only if you stand still and straighten up, Elizabeth." She shook her head. "Every time you stand up, the front of this dress rises by five inches."

Elizabeth giggled. "Blame Ty and Bernie," she said, standing up straight with her hands resting protectively on her stomach.

Hearing sounds over on the quilt nearby, both Elizabeth and Rosemary looked at Jack and Violet, playing happily. Jack was talking away, teaching Violet something of great importance. Rosemary and Elizabeth's eyes met and they smiled.

Rosemary bent to her task again. "I can't believe it's been two years since we did this the last time. And, if I do say so myself, these dresses we made for you when you were expecting Jack are holding up very well." She took the last of the pins out of her mouth. "There! That's pinned and ready for you to sew. Next one!"

On her way to the bedroom to change into the last of her maternity dresses, Elizabeth stopped off in the kitchen. "Do I have time for a cup of tea, Rosemary?"

Waving her hand, Rosemary nodded. "As much time as you want." She got up off the floor and stood up, stretching.

While the water boiled, Elizabeth walked around the living room. "This house is so lovely. It's so... you." She touched the fringe on a deep red lampshade, which matched the red pillows with fringe on the sofa.

Elizabeth laughed suddenly. "Do you remember when you first came to Coal Valley? You were so glamorous, and literally everything in your wardrobe was red. You mentioned to Dottie at church that all of the women in town seemed to be wearing red, and she told you that you'd started a trend. Did you happen to notice what color I was wearing that day?"

Rosemary smiled at her. "You were the _first_ one I noticed, Elizabeth. You can't have forgotten... as crazy as it seems now, we were in some competition over Jack at that point. I hadn't yet figured out that I didn't have a chance with Jack once he'd set eyes on you."

Elizabeth smiled at her. "Do you know that was the only time I think I'd ever worn red since I left Hamilton? My preference has always been toward pastels; pinks, blues, lavender, beige. I love clothes like this," she said, touching the lovely light peach maternity dress she was wearing. "There was only one other time I wore a red dress. I borrowed it from you to go to Union City to hear Virginia Woolf speak when Lucas invited me. Do you remember?" Elizabeth heard the water boiling and she went to prepare her tea.

Rosemary nodded. "Very well. You looked stunning in that dress, Elizabeth. It was so different from your usual look, which is always _also_ lovely. But the red was... I don't know, so _big-city,_ so sophisticated..."

"It wasn't me," Elizabeth said simply. "Just like the red wasn't me at church that day. And though I loved hearing Virginia Woolf that night, I realized I was trying to be someone I wasn't. Someone I didn't even want to be."

Rosemary came into the kitchen and poured a cup of tea for herself. "I was probably a little more enthusiastic than I should have been about you going with Lucas. I was just so thrilled that you were getting out. Going on an actual _date..."_

"It wasn't a _date,_ Rosemary, it was a _reading."_ Elizabeth said, more forcefully than she intended. "I told Lucas that we were only friends. And Nathan... " Elizabeth sighed. "I hurt him so badly, and that was the last thing I wanted to do."

Rosemary raised an eyebrow. "It got him off the fence, didn't it? Seeing you and Nathan now, I'd say that was the most successful date _ever."_

"It wasn't a..." Elizabeth started.

Rosemary laughed. "Okay, _fine,_ it wasn't a date. But Nathan thought it was, and that's all that matters."

Elizabeth smiled indulgently at her friend. "In _any_ case, my _point_ was, I realize now that I wore that red dress of yours because I was confused." She walked over and picked up her sky blue dress decorated with white embroidery and pleats down the front.

Holding it up, Elizabeth said, _"This_ is me. Who I really am. The _me_ that belongs with Nathan. Does any of this make sense?"

Rosemary stepped over to her and touched the light blue fabric of the dress she was holding. "Yes, perfect sense. And you're talking about something that is very close to my heart. I love clothes, Elizabeth, but not for superficial reasons, as some might think. I love them for the same reason I love the theatre. We present ourselves to the world by what we wear."

Taking her hand and leading her to the sofa, Rosemary said, "That night in Union City, you had a problem that most women would kill for. _Two_ men who wanted you, and you had to choose."

Elizabeth laughed softly. "Well, I chose." She sighed. "And boy, was it the right one..." Elizabeth's eyes went soft.

"Okay, don't float away on me," Rosemary said, laughing. "And what did you tell me about when you finally told Nathan you loved him, you were wearing, what...?"

Laughing too, Elizabeth said, "A housedress with an apron, Jack on my hip, my hair a mess, and a spot of flour on my cheek." She raised her eyebrows. "Very glamorous!"

"It just goes to show that romance will find a way, no matter what the circumstances. And now, Lucas seems so happy with Julie," Rosemary leaned toward Elizabeth as if she were telling a secret. "Those two were thick as thieves last night. Can an announcement be far off?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "They are a very modern couple, Rosemary. Julie asked _him_ out first. I don't think we can predict what will happen there. But just between us, Lucas is talking about coming to Hamilton when we go to the hospital. I think he may be planning to talk to Father."

"Another _wedding!"_ Rosemary said, clapping her hands. "I just _love_ this town!"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in warning. "As I said, there's no predicting what those two will do, so try not to be disappointed." Elizabeth stood and held the blue dress up in front of her. "Last one?"

Rosemary nodded as Elizabeth went to the bedroom to change. This one went much faster. Before she knew it Rosemary was done.

But Elizabeth didn't step down right away. She was gazing out of the window that looked over at the Grant farm. The view of her house from the Coulters' was quite beautiful with the pond, the meadow and the schoolhouse beyond. "Would you mind if I asked Carson to come out to take a picture of our house from here?" Elizabeth asked. "It's so pretty in the snow."

"Anytime," Rosemary said. "Oh! I forgot to show you this!" She helped Elizabeth down carefully from the short box she'd been standing on. "Carson brought this by the other day."

Rosemary took Elizabeth to a small table and picked up what looked like a stack of small photographs attached to each other on the left side. It was about four inches tall. Rosemary's eyes were sparkling. "He made us a movie!"

Rosemary picked up the stack and put her thumb on the right side. As she flipped the photos quickly, Elizabeth gasped. She was watching their roof being built. Each photo had been taken in order and as her eyes moved from one picture to the next, the structure rose into the air.

"Rosemary!" Elizabeth said, her mouth open. "How wonderful!" She watched it again and then she put her arm around her friend. "That was a good day."

"It was," Rosemary said softly.

Just then, the babies kicked, and Elizabeth wondered if she should let Rosemary know. It was so hard to watch the pain in her eyes, but Elizabeth also knew that Rosemary wanted to experience every minute of her joy. She reached over and took Rosemary's hand and put it on her stomach.

Rosemary's eyes went wide. "Oh my goodness!" she said, laughing. Rosemary's eyes glistened. "What does it feel like to you, Elizabeth? Can you tell me?"

Elizabeth reached up and smoothed Rosemary's hair affectionately. "I want to, but I never know if I should."

Frowning, Rosemary said, "Elizabeth. Let me say this once and for all. Would I love to have a child of my own? Of course." She led Elizabeth to the living room sofa and sat her down. "I also wanted to star on Broadway in _A Skylark,_ but the part went to Hazel Cox. I would have been _so_ much better, but whatever, they went in a different direction. Not so much ingenue as _seasoned_ female lead..." Rosemary fluttered her hands, while Elizabeth stifled a smile. "In _any_ case, life is full of disappointments. Things turn out differently than we think they will. But..."

Rosemary looked around her new house, warm and just exactly the way she had imagined it. She looked over at Violet, sitting up on the quilt and watching Jack build paddocks for all the tiny cloth horses. Then she looked back at Elizabeth and took her hand. "...but, oh my, I have so much that's good in my life. A loving husband, the _best_ friends, so much joy, and for however long..." She looked back at Violet,"...the sweetest little girl to care for."

Elizabeth hugged her. "You're a wonder, Rosemary. I learn from you every day." Pulling back to look at her, Elizabeth said, "Nathan is going to talk to Lee about the four of us going to Brookfield."

Rosemary gasped and clasped Elizabeth's hands tightly. "Really? Won't that be some sort of conflict of interest or something for Nathan? I'm _not_ complaining, because Lee will listen to him, but I thought..."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Well, officially, the Mountie assigned to the case is Gabriel Kinslow. Nathan has just been helping Gabe out. He's going to wire Gabe on Monday to see what his options are."

Excited, Rosemary said, "I know there's a hotel in Brookfield, but I thought I also saw a boarding house when we were there last year. I was thinking that we could get them rooms. And at the dress shop we have some old styles that we were going to donate to the charity shop, but I can take some to Frances..."

Elizabeth smiled. "Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, Rosemary. First, Nathan needs to talk to Lee. Then we'll take it from there."

Rosemary took a deep breath and nodded, her lips pressed tightly together. "I think you know, Elizabeth, that _patience_ is not my best feature."

Elizabeth laughed softly. "I recognize that in you because it's my challenge too."

Rosemary placed her hand on Elizabeth's stomach again, and looked into her eyes expectantly. "So, tell me what it feels like."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and smiled happily. "Sometimes it's just butterflies, little taps, as if they're rolling over or adjusting in their sleep, at other times, like they're trying to make more room for themselves in there, kicking their hands and feet out in frustration." She looked down and laughed, "And sometimes it's just indigestion."

Rosemary laughed too. "Well, of course it is! I'll never understand where everything that was already in there _goes!"_

Illustrating for her, Elizabeth used her hands to describe the process. "Lungs up, stomach over, heart sideways..." They both laughed.

"Oh, and I forgot to tell you," Elizabeth said. "The other day my class started asking me so many questions! It started innocently enough with Esther Sutherland, asking about how I can stretch so much when she hardly has room in her tummy for Thanksgiving dinner."

Rosemary made a face and said, "Awww, so sweet!"

Elizabeth nodded, "Yes, sweet, but it escalated from there and became a bit of a minefield. I don't feel it's my place to explain the birds and bees to other people's children, although I certainly can teach them biology. I'm talking with parents now about their wishes, and letting them know I can have Carson come into the class if need be. This can be a very valuable teaching moment if we handle it the right way. What I don't want to do is brush off their very real questions."

"What kind of questions did they ask?" Rosemary said, fascinated.

Elizabeth laughed. "Matty Simpson wanted to know how babies breathe in there, and he said his mother told him I might be having two babies, and when they talk to each other can I hear what they're saying?"

Laughing, Rosemary said, "Oh, Elizabeth. I wouldn't have your job for all the tea in China. Just the few times I've tried it, I've realized that it's both absolutely impossible and a _monumental_ privilege. What did you say?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "That the babies get their air from me when I breathe, and that they haven't learned to talk yet." She laughed softly. "Sometimes the simplest answer works. I try not to get too complicated and just answer exactly the questions they ask. But I'm getting in over my head a bit on knowing how far to go."

"And what does Carson say about your... _size?"_ Rosemary asked, wondering how delicate to be.

Now Elizabeth really laughed. "Rosemary, you never have to tread on eggshells with me. I know I'm getting huge. I have _mirrors,_ you know." She looked down. "I can't believe I have over four months left to go. You're all going to need to pick me up with one of the cranes from the sawmill if this keeps up!"

"What am I getting from the sawmill?" Lee said, coming in the back door. He walked right over to the children and got down on the floor with them. "What's going on here? It looks like Mommy may need to make you some horsies too, sweetie," he said, kissing Violet and making her giggle.

Rosemary looked at Elizabeth and pretended to pout. "He used to walk in the door and come straight over and kiss _me._ Not any more... I've been replaced!"

Elizabeth laughed. "Don't take it too personally. Nathan does the same with Jack."

Lee rolled over onto his back and lifted Violet over him, nuzzling her stomach with his nose and making noises. Jack wanted to play, too, so he climbed up and started riding horsey. All three of them were laughing.

Elizabeth looked over at Rosemary and put her arm around her. Both of them gazed for a moment, smiling softly. Rosemary said, "It's beautiful, isn't it? Big, tough men reduced to jelly by the laughter of children."

She turned to Elizabeth and whispered, "No matter what happens with Violet, even if she goes back to Frances, we will stay in her life somehow. That's why I want to go to Brookfield. So I never have to lose her no matter how it turns out."

Elizabeth squeezed her hand. "I know that, Rosemary. And you're right."

"But more importantly," Rosemary continued softly, "There will always be children in this house, Elizabeth. I can't go back to the way we were, just the two of us. If it's not Violet, then we'll find a way to adopt. There are too many children who need homes." She looked at Lee. "And that man has _far_ too much love in him for it to go to waste."

Elizabeth hugged her friend tightly. "And what about you? And all the love you have to give?"

Rosemary turned to her and nodded. "Well, yes, there's that, too."


	83. Chapter 83

Nathan came in the door from the mudroom after removing his boots. He'd been on rounds in town, and he walked across the clean wood floor in his socks to hang up his hat, his heavy blue wool jacket, and his belt and holster on the front door rack.

Elizabeth was sitting on the living room sofa with Jack in front of the fire. She looked up from hemming her blue dress and said, "You're a very considerate husband, you know that?"

He raised his eyebrows. "At the risk of sounding like I'm just fishing for more compliments, what brought that on?"

Elizabeth inclined her head toward his feet. "You in your socks. Lots of men would walk right across the floor in their snow and mud-covered boots when they come home from work."

Nathan looked down and frowned. "Why would I do that?"

Elizabeth sighed. "You see? I'm married to the perfect man."

Nathan walked over and sat down next to her. "I hope that my taking my boots off is only one of the reasons you're happy to be married to me," he said softly. He'd been imagining this for most of the day. Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her, slowly. Elizabeth sighed, feeling the familiar outdoor chill of his lips turn to fire in only seconds. When he pulled away to look at her, Elizabeth's eyes were still closed and her sewing forgotten.

She opened her eyes slowly and smiled. "Yep. Perfect."

Nathan stood up and went over to the quilt. He sat with his back up against the hearth and Jack put down his toys, except for his Mountie, and crawled into his lap.

Nathan was still wearing his red serge and Jack put the small wooden figure up against it. "Dad Mountie, Jack Mountie, Mama Mountie..."

Laughing, Nathan said to him, "Mama's a Mountie, too? Good for her!" He looked up at Elizabeth. "Well, he's mastered _that_ word."

Elizabeth nodded, "Yes, and about a hundred others. It's happening so fast. He'll just be chattering away, making no sense at all, and then suddenly he'll string all his words together, saying, 'Hello Lizzie, bye bye cookie, all gone, Mountie red.'"

Jack looked up at Nathan and said, "Mountie red," just by way of illustration.

They both laughed. Nathan put his mouth on Jack's neck and blew, making the noise that never failed to make him giggle. "Smartest boy in the world. I'm not surprised," he said to Jack, who curled up in his lap, talking softly.

Nathan looked tenderly across at Elizabeth for a few moments. "How have I not seen you since breakfast? This is a _very_ small town."

Elizabeth picked up her sewing again. "Well, I was in school, probably while you were standing outside of your office leaning against that post, looking all tall and dark and handsome, drinking coffee, tipping your hat and making the young sawmill wives swoon."

Jack crawled down to his toys again, and Nathan laughed as he moved back up to sit next to Elizabeth on the couch. "You really need to understand that you see me through a different lens than anyone else. How about that I'm standing there looking all awkward, all gangly and like I'm nothing but ears?" He frowned. "Did I tell you that they used to call me 'the teapot' in school?"

Elizabeth laughed and reached her fingers up to touch his ears. "Your ears are just the right size. They hold your hat up."

Nathan snorted. "As I said, a different lens."

She kissed his cheek. "But I won't forget you told me that..." She giggled. "Teapot."

Raising his eyebrow, Nathan said, "I'll need to get some baby pictures from Mom." He reached up and pulled one ear forward. "They were exactly this same size when I was born. I just sort of grew into them."

She looked at him from under her lashes. "You grew up just fine," she said softly. She snuggled into his shoulder. "So, then after school, I got Jack from Laura, and we stopped by your office and you weren't there..."

"I went up to the Anderson farm. They think they might have a wild boar out there killing chickens."

Elizabeth frowned and looked up at him. "Be careful. I was just telling the children that feral pigs can grow to be up to six hundred pounds."

"Some larger." He smiled at her and touched his finger to her cheek. "Don't worry. Bear protects me."

"Good," she said softly, moving back down to his shoulder. "So...then we went to the Mercantile for a few things, stopped in and said hello to Rosemary and Violet at the dress shop, went to Le Bistro and saw Julie, and you _still_ weren't in your office, so we came home."

Nathan smiled crookedly. "You forgot the part about asking Julie to go into the kitchen and get you some chocolate croissants..."

Elizabeth giggled. "I don't _always_ do that!"

"Did you today?" he said, leaning down and kissing her forehead.

Elizabeth sighed again. "Yes..."

"Good," he said softly. "Save me one for breakfast."

Elizabeth sighed. "Then I talked to Mother on the phone this afternoon."

Nathan looked over at her. "And what did Grace have to say?"

"What she always has to say these days. Why is Julie in Hope Valley? And she always manages to slip it into the conversation that I've somehow bewitched her youngest daughter and that we're living on the frontier surrounded by savages and eating raw turnips..."

Nathan laughed, pulling Elizabeth closer. "She's never been here. She just doesn't understand how _civilized_ we all are." He made a very scary face and Elizabeth burst out laughing.

"Oh, you're going to be a big help," she said. "Maybe I should go to Hamilton alone..."

Nathan pulled her to him and kissed her firmly. "Just try it," he said softly. "Speaking of which..." He put his hand on Elizabeth's stomach. "...How's the baseball team?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I think we're in the middle of the World Series." Looking down, she said, "You know, with Jack, it was a lot quieter. But with _two_ of them... either they're egging each other on, or one sleeps and the other moves and then the opposite... I don't know, there's just so much more kicking than I remember."

Nathan looked at her, concerned. "And it's okay? You sure it doesn't hurt?"

Smiling tenderly at him, she said, "It doesn't hurt at all. In fact, I'd be worried if they were still for too long. It's like they're giving me a little nudge and saying, 'We're here!'" She kissed his cheek. "I love it."

Nathan stood and unbuttoned his tunic, finally warm from his long cold day in the saddle. He hung his red serge around the back of a chair and pulled out something that was sticking out of the pocket.

Standing in front of her, he said, "We may have a problem." He held up two envelopes. "I stopped off for the mail on my way home because I saw that the stage came late."

Elizabeth looked up and read the return addresses on the two envelopes. One was from Rebecca, and the other from Stella Kendall in Spruce Grove.

Elizabeth brightened. "Stella answered you? Are she and Jessie coming for Christmas?"

"Yes," Nathan said, smiling. "They're very happy about the invitation and can't wait to see Hope Valley. Jessie is looking forward to meeting Allie..." he said, _"...and_ her horse."

Elizabeth frowned. "So, what's the problem?"

Nathan opened the letter from Rebecca and read, _"Charlie and I find ourselves missing all of you terribly, and it doesn't make sense for us to spend Christmas all alone up here when you're in your new house with Elizabeth expecting. We'd like to take you up on that invitation to visit whenever we can, and come for Christmas."_

"That's wonderful!" Elizabeth said. "You know I'd love to have a houseful for the holidays!"

Nathan still wasn't smiling. In fact, he took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes a little. "Mom. And Stella."

The light dawned in Elizabeth's eyes. "Oh. Yes." She frowned. Then she smiled and raised her eyebrows. "Well, I suppose that means we have to move from speculation to answers."

Nathan sighed and sat down. "How do we have that conversation? I don't even know where to begin."

Elizabeth shrugged. "We just come right out and ask. I feel close enough to Archie that I could do it, if you want." She turned to Nathan. "He's said he'll always be honest with you. I believe he will."

"I just don't feel like we can have Mom here if she might get blindsided. It doesn't feel fair to her," Nathan said.

Elizabeth nodded and took his hand in hers. "We'll do it together." He wasn't looking at her, and she lowered her head, peering into his eyes. "It'll be better to know, don't you think? And not only for us. Jessie could be Allie's cousin. Just more family for her to love."

They heard the mudroom door close, and the sound of boots stomping outside the kitchen.

Nathan looked at Elizabeth and took a deep breath. "Thank you for standing next to me. Always." He kissed her quickly. Elizabeth could see that his eyes were very blue.

"People make mistakes, Nathan. Your father has made some bad decisions, but he owns up to them. We're family," Elizabeth said softly, putting aside her sewing and standing up with him.

Archie came through the door and saw them both standing there. His brow furrowed. "What's up?" he said, looking from one to the other.

Nathan could see that they had immediately made him nervous, so he went over and put his arm around his father. "We need to talk to you, Dad. Can you sit with us for a minute before Allie comes home?"

Archie sighed. "Well, this looks bad. What have I done?" He looked at Elizabeth, tilting his head.

"Nothing, Archie. We just have some questions."

Sitting down at the harvest table, Archie said, "About what?"

Nathan pulled out a chair for Elizabeth and then sat down across from Archie. "About Stella and Jessie."

Archie raised his eyebrows. "Ah." He nodded. "This has been coming for a while." He looked at both of them, his eyes slightly narrowed. "I'll tell you anything you want to know, son."

Nathan took a breath. "Mom is coming for Christmas with Charlie."

Archie nodded. "And I take it Stella and Jessie said yes to your invitation? Which means they're coming too?" He looked from Elizabeth to Nathan. "And you're worried about some secret coming out?" Archie sighed. "Don't know whether it would be worse for you to think I'm her father, or for you to find out who _really_ is."

That was not what Elizabeth and Nathan were expecting to hear, and their faces showed it.

"So, you're not Stella's father?" Elizabeth said.

Archie shook his head and looked at her. "No." Then, looking at Nathan, he said, "Though I can understand you thinking that. She's not mine, but I have a duty-bound responsibility to care for her. And Jessie."

"Why, Dad?" Nathan said, finally.

"It might help if I tell you Stella's full name. It's Stella Edmunds Kendall."

It only took Nathan a moment to remember why that name was so familiar. "As in... Donnie Edmunds?"

"Yes, son."

Elizabeth frowned. "The man who stole the necklace?"

Nathan nodded, understanding. "When I arrested him, he told me that you'd been cellmates for years and that you'd had a picture of Sarah and me on the wall of your cell. That you talked about us all the time." Nathan sighed. "I'm guessing Donnie had a photo of Stella over his bunk?"

"And Jessie as a baby," Archie said. "Been a long time since he's seen them. But he knew where they were, same way I kept track of you. It's why I went up to Spruce Grove when I left here." Archie looked down at his hands. "We made a promise to each other that if only one of us got out, we'd watch over the other's kin. If things had been different, it might have been him here with you, son."

Nathan's eyes went dark. "So I put Stella's father... and Jessie's grandfather... in prison. For a very long time."

Archie looked up quickly and shook his head vehemently. "No, you did _not._ Donnie put _himself_ there. You were doing your job. Even Donnie knows that."

Elizabeth took Nathan's hand and held it tightly while she spoke to Archie. "Does Stella know her father is in prison?"

Archie nodded. "She knows everything."

Nathan said softly, "So, when I was in Edmonton, and we were sitting in that restaurant together... Stella knew that I was the one who arrested her father?"

"Yes," Archie said. "And she holds you no ill will for it. In fact, she's nothing but grateful now for what you did finding Jessie."

"And why didn't you just tell me that Donnie was her father? When I was up north?" Nathan asked.

Archie looked down sheepishly. "I could tell you thought she was mine. And I knew you felt the same kind of... connection... as I did. With Sarah and Allie." He looked up at Nathan and frowned, "I always knew you'd do your best, son, but I didn't think it would hurt for a little while for you to think she was your kin too."

Archie straightened up and looked his son in the eye. "Now I know you better, I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away. You would have done everything for them, kin or no. Because it's your job." He paused. "I should have trusted you more. I won't make that mistake again."

Nathan sat back, needing a moment to breathe.

Archie looked carefully at him. "I'm guessing this conversation didn't go the way you thought it would."

Raising an eyebrow, Nathan smiled at his father. Then he said simply, "Nope. Not even close."

Archie smiled. "I did a lot of terrible things to your mother, son. But I never cheated on her. I can see how you might think so, but the only other woman I ever danced with was Lady Luck."


	84. Chapter 84

Elizabeth reached over, expecting to find Nathan where he always was in the middle of the night, warm, and next to her. But when she moved her hand further, the sheets were cold.

She opened her eyes and waited until they adjusted to the dark. The bedroom door was open and there was just the slightest flickering on the walls of the living room at the end of the hall.

Breathing deeply, she put her feet on the floor and found her slippers, then she stood and put on her robe. She padded quietly down the hall and turned to the living room.

The fire that Nathan had banked before they'd gone to bed had been revived and was the only light in the room. It danced across the walls, the floor, the sofa, and Nathan's face as he sat before it.

He was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, and for a moment she stood there soundlessly, watching him. The lines on his face were thrown into deep relief by the light of the fire.

Elizabeth didn't want to startle him, so she whispered, "Nathan?"

He turned sharply and took a deep breath. "Elizabeth."

Walking toward him, she said, "You can't sleep?"

Nathan exhaled and rubbed his face with his hands, "No. I'm sorry if I woke you."

She sat next to him and ran her fingers through his hair tenderly, trying to make some order of it. Nathan had a tendency, when he was troubled, of threading both hands across his thick hair; and right now it looked as if he'd been _very_ troubled.

Elizabeth said softly, "I only woke up because you weren't next to me. What's keeping you up? Do you want to talk about it?"

Nathan turned to her and gazed into her eyes, lit only by the firelight, for a long time. Elizabeth knew him so well, and though at the beginning she'd felt a need to prompt him when he was silent, she knew now that he was only thinking of how best to say something, or if he should even say it at all.

He raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth, and then closed it, saying, "It's nothing."

Elizabeth smiled. She reached a hand up and touched his face. "We're back to that, are we?"

He looked down and laughed softly. "That worked for a while," he said. "I could always tell it bothered you, but it bought me some time until I could sort out my thoughts."

She smiled at him. "Which could sometimes take _days."_

He looked sideways at her. "I had a lot of thoughts," he said. "Most of them about you. And _very_ mixed up."

She hugged his arm tightly. "I'll still give you time if you want it. But what's keeping you awake is clearly _something._ I just want you to know I'm ready to listen if you want to talk." Elizabeth sat back on the sofa and Nathan leaned back and joined her. He put his arm around her and she nestled her head comfortably on his shoulder.

For a few minutes they simply stared at the fire. Elizabeth knew that Nathan was still troubled, but that her presence was giving him some comfort, so she felt no need to press.

Finally, he spoke. At first, it was as if he was simply musing, making general comments. "Men are raised to be strong, to be in control, to be good providers. Protectors." Then it got personal. "I learned that early, with Dad gone and a sister and a mother in the house. I always doubted myself, but I learned not to show it."

Elizabeth tightened her hold on his hand briefly and then relaxed it. He felt it and squeezed back.

There were always so many things Elizabeth wanted to say in these moments. She wanted to reassure him, let him know how good he was at everything, build him up. But this wasn't about her reassurances, this was about Nathan expressing his fears. Elizabeth had to hold back her need to be nice, to be supportive, to _talk,_ so that Nathan could find the best way to do that.

_We don't learn new things when we talk. We learn when we listen._ It was a lesson she tried to teach her students, and she followed it herself now.

Nathan sighed. "A little over a year ago, I had two responsibilities. Raising Allie and keeping Hope Valley safe. I focused on those two things. They were challenging, but they were manageable. I was lonely..." he turned and kissed her forehead, "...and I loved you from a distance, but my life wasn't very complicated."

Elizabeth nodded on his shoulder. Now she struggled with the next part of listening. _This is not about me, it's about him._ She felt a little hurt creeping in, and she wanted to sit up and say, _Yes, I know I've complicated your life, but now we do things together, and there's strength in that, too._

But she stayed silent. Listening. And the benefit of that was that he heard what he'd just said, and refined it.

Nathan turned to her and looked into her eyes. Even by the firelight she could see the profound love there.

"I love this life, Elizabeth. More than I will ever be able to express to you." He put his hand on her cheek. "You _are_ my life now, and that's... that's the point..."

Elizabeth tilted her head, becoming aware of what his sleeplessness was about.

"I can't lose you," he said suddenly, his eyes soft in the firelight. "But at the same time, I'm powerless to do anything about it. I think you know that I would stand in front of you and take a bullet without a second thought, but this..." Nathan reached down and touched her tenderly. "How can I already love them so much and also be so terrified of what they might do to you..."

_There it was. The thing that kept him awake._ Elizabeth looked into his stricken eyes and then put her arms around him and held tight.

"It's not fair that you can't feel what I'm feeling." Elizabeth said softly into his ear. She pulled back and looked at him, searching for the right words. "I have this sense of well-being, of rightness, of being in step with everything around me." She put her hand down on her stomach. "This... _miracle_... of life growing. I wish you could live in my heart for just one minute and you'd understand that everything is going to be okay." She touched his face. _"I'm_ going to be okay, Nathan. And so are they. Little Ty and Bernie," she said, smiling.

Nathan raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to speak. Then he exhaled. "I was going to say you can't know that. But I guess you just told me that you can."

She nodded and smiled at him. "Maybe it's something God provides so I can concentrate on being a happy place for these two to grow. I've certainly prayed about it enough," she said softly. "All I know is that I _see_ it. I see us all complete as a family." She stopped and laughed softly.

Nathan frowned and smiled back at her. "What?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Well, unless the Tigers allow girls on their team... I'm seeing Ty and _Bernice."_

Nathan tilted his head at her, but he was still smiling. "You can't possibly know that," he said, shaking his head.

Elizabeth laughed. "I'm growing two human beings in here, which is already beyond our comprehension when you think about it too closely – and you think there are hard and fast _rules_ about all this?"

Nathan laughed too. "Point taken."

"And," she said, smiling, "The odds are with me. I told you Carson was in my classroom today talking about biology? The children were fascinated with the idea of twins. They had a hard time imagining a boy and a girl being twins, and Carson said that's what happens most of the time when they're fraternal."

Nathan smiled. "Sarah always said we were special because we were twins but we were so different." He raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Not so special after all, then?"

"Still very rare. And _very_ special," Elizabeth said softly.

Nathan turned and looked at the fire again.

"Nathan," Elizabeth said, leaning forward and putting her hand on his shoulder. "I understand, and honestly, if I didn't have this maternal euphoria going on, I would probably worry just as much as you are. I did worry somewhat with little Jack, but I went through it by myself, and I was still grieving, so it was hard to sort it all out."

He turned to her and held on tightly to her hand. "I have no idea how you got through that without Jack. And you call me brave." He put his arm around her.

"We do what we have to do. I have no idea how you can just get on Bear and ride off to find people in blizzards," she said, smiling.

Nathan shook his head, laughing. "If the choice is the blizzard or doing this...?" he said, looking down, "I'll take the blizzard any day."

"How can I convince you not to worry?"

"I don't know if you can," he said simply. "I love you too much. But I do feel better knowing that you're sure it will be alright." He leaned back on the couch and took her with him. "And it does feel better to talk about it with you. So, as long as it doesn't bother you, maybe just let me moan about it every once in a while?"

Elizabeth smiled. "You never moan. You think things through very carefully and you have feelings about them. Absolutely understandable feelings."

Elizabeth snuggled up against him and they both watched the fire for a while.

Nathan sighed. "I miss the porch swing. Everything seems simpler in a porch swing, doesn't it?"

Elizabeth leaned up and kissed his cheek. "It does. And when spring comes, we'll sit in it again."

Then she looked around the living room, assessing the space, as he watched her. "Unless... you want to bring it inside." They looked at each other and stood. Without talking, they went quietly into the sunroom, not wanting to wake anyone up.

Because the sunroom mimicked the porch on that side of the house, it was a long room. And the swing was free-standing. They only had the light of the full moon outside the windows, but they could see well enough to measure with their eyes. Nathan turned to Elizabeth and raised his eyebrows. "I really think it would fit," he whispered.

Elizabeth saw him narrow his eyes at the size of the door and then he looked through the window at the snow-covered lump outside. She could recognize a man on a mission, so she peered at the clock on top of the bookshelves. "Nathan, it's 3:45 in the morning," she whispered.

He pulled her into a hug. "No, not now. But once Chester gets up, all bets are off."

Elizabeth looked up into his eyes and both of them smiled.

"Go back to bed and warm it up for me," Nathan said softly. "I'll bank the fire and be there in a minute."

Nathan still held her by the arms as he gazed at her, his eyes blue in the moonlight. "How is it that you can help me move from what felt like absolute despair to this? To hope, and to thinking about porch swings and spring?" He ran his fingers through her curls, loose around her shoulders.

She tapped his forehead. "It's all in here. You know the world can be a good place. You've always known it. The fact is, now the world you live in is reflecting that back to you, and you're afraid to lose it." She leaned up and kissed him softly. "I'm telling you you're not going to lose it. It's just going to keep getting better and better."

"My angel Elizabeth," he said, bending to kiss her again. He held her there for a long moment and then moved his lips to her cheek.

"I'll be right in," he whispered. As she walked down the hall toward the bedroom, Nathan made his way silently to the living room to bank the fire.

When the flames had turned to embers, he walked from the living room to the harvest table, gazing around at the abundance of his life. His warm house, the photos on the walls that told the story of his life with Elizabeth, the children, and now Archie, and the soft glow of the streetlights from the town beyond.

Nathan knew that Elizabeth was right. Even before his father left and he lost Sarah, Nathan had always fought the darkness that came on the heels of good things; the fear that he would lose them.

But from the moment he'd met Elizabeth, what had he lost? Nothing. He'd only gained. Family, friends, a place in this community, and now, more children.

He used to anticipate losses, thinking if he did, it wouldn't be such a shock if it happened. And if it didn't happen, then it was just a bonus. But that's not the way he wanted to live his life anymore.

If bad things happened, he and Elizabeth would face them together, but as Nathan stood and looked out at the mist on the pond under the full moon, he decided that he would begin to anticipate the good.

And then, with a smile, he started to see it too. The four of them traveling back from Hamilton; Nathan, Elizabeth and two beautiful healthy children. A boy and a girl. _If the Tigers won't let girls in, we'll just have to start our own baseball team._

Nathan smiled and shook his head. _What has she done to me?_ he thought. _I hardly know myself._

He checked the fire one more time to be certain it was out. Then, touching his fingers lightly on a wall, a chair, a framed photograph – Nathan walked soundlessly down the hall to join Elizabeth in their warm bed.


	85. Chapter 85

Chester had just stopped crowing, and on this Saturday in late November the Grant farm was a hive of activity. Elizabeth and Nathan would be leaving soon with Rosemary and Lee to go to Brookfield. Gabe had arranged a meeting with Frances and Harold at the orphanage, and for this meeting they thought it best to leave Violet at home.

Laura would watch Violet at the Coulters for the day, and Julie and Lucas were taking Jack out for a picnic and to build a snowman. Archie and Allie were planning a ride out for some ice fishing.

"So, _what_ is Dad doing in the sunroom?" Allie said, looking up from milking Lizzie.

Elizabeth held tightly to Jack as he sat on the stall gate and giggled at Sarah. She was the sweetest horse, and she liked to push her nose gently up against Jack's hand while Elizabeth rubbed her ears.

"It's a long story," Elizabeth said, smiling. "The short version is that the porch swing wouldn't quite fit through the door so he had to take it apart and now he's putting it back together inside."

"And he brought it inside the house _because...?"_ Allie asked.

Laughing softly, Elizabeth said, "We missed Spring and being able to sit on it."

Allie looked up at her and couldn't help smiling. "You two are perfect for each other, you know?"

Elizabeth smiled back. "That's what people tell us." She watched Allie for a moment. "You told us that, right from the beginning. Do you remember when I told you your Dad and I were courting? You could see it then."

Allie rolled her eyes and laughed, "It didn't take a genius, Mom." She gave Lizzie a pat and said, "Good girl." Allie stood up and moved her stool to its place in the corner and picked up the pail. "Aunt Julie says they have enough cheese for this week, but she needs butter. How much milk do we need to keep out?"

Elizabeth looked into the pail. "Just about a quarter of that. The rest is all yours." She lifted Jack off the gate and said, "Say bye-bye to Sarah."

"Bye-bye Sawah, good horsey," Jack said sadly.

"Awww," Elizabeth said, kissing his cheek. "Maybe tomorrow your Dad will give you a ride to town," she said, hugging him tightly. She put him down so he could walk. "Now we go get eggs!" she said brightly.

Jack was having none of walking, and he took off at a sprint to the chicken coop. "Eggs!" he said, running around the corner. Elizabeth had to walk quickly to keep up with him, and she thought the time would come soon that she might have to make sure she always had someone with her to chase after Jack.

_It's all new,_ she thought. It was one thing for her to care for Jack by herself - with the help of the entire town, of course. But watching twins with a toddler? She was having trouble imagining how she could be in three places at once.

Allie was always wonderful, and Elizabeth knew she was luckier than most to have not only a bright, happy thirteen-year-old, but also a father-in-law, and a husband who could be fairly flexible in his job. Not to mention Rosemary and Lee, or Julie and Lucas, who would generally drop anything to watch Jack if she needed them to.

"Don't forget the one under Lucky," Elizabeth said to Jack. He took his job of egg collecting very seriously and he already had his little basket over his arm. Jack had his routine. He'd mastered the _ch_ sound for the most part, and after opening the doors, he walked along the coop saying "Chick tick," and soothing the hens before reaching gently under them. Every time he pulled an egg out, you would think he'd discovered buried treasure. He would hold it up and say "Egg!" and Elizabeth would clap her hands.

There had been about a half an inch of snow the night before, and Elizabeth used the rake to clear the ground so the chickens could peck and scratch to their heart's content. She brushed off the ramp and one by one they walked down until they were all around Jack's feet. He loved being right in the middle of them, and laughed at their noisy chatter and their jerky movements.

"Let's go see how Dad is doing, shall we?" Elizabeth said, taking the basket from him and holding his hand. They went into the mudroom and put the eggs in the box that Nathan had made just for the purpose.

Allie was already in the kitchen turning the handle on their small butter churn. She had all but taken over the icebox in the mudroom so Nathan had built her one of her own, which had milk in various stages of cream separation and cooling.

Not only was she making some extra money, but Allie had done a report in front of the class showing how the butter separated from the cream. In a book in the library, she'd found a traditional churning song from Scotland and the class had sung it with her while she gave them turns at the handle.

_"Come butter come, come butter come, Peter stands at the gate, a-waitin' for a buttered cake..."_

Elizabeth watched her now and heard her humming the tune absentmindedly. "I'm so proud of you, Allie."

"It's fun," Allie said. "I enjoy it." She set the small churn aside to rest. "So, when are you and Dad leaving?"

"Very soon." Elizabeth looked out the windows at the bright sun rising behind the trees.

"And he's driving?" Allie said, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes," Elizabeth said.

"You're brave..." Allie said smiling before she turned back to her churning.

Jack was restless so Elizabeth pulled off his little boots and let him run. He was looking for Nathan, and everyone had just heard a grunt coming from the general direction of the sunroom.

Elizabeth came around the corner and the only part of Nathan that was visible were his long legs sticking out from under the swing.

"How's it going?" Elizabeth said, just in time to scoop Jack up before he jumped up on Nathan.

"Al...most..._done!_ There," he said, tightening the last of the bolts. And just in time, because Jack wriggled out of Elizabeth's arms and crawled up into the swing.

Nathan managed to get out from underneath it by surprising Jack and making him laugh. Then he sat down gingerly on the swing to test it and motioned for Elizabeth to sit down beside him. Jack crawled up on Nathan's lap.

It was in the perfect place, right in front of the window, looking out at the expanse of pure white snow that was dazzling in the sunshine.

Nathan was unconsciously pushing the swing with his foot the way he always had on the porch. Jack was mesmerized and was calmly looking outside at the snow while he played with Nathan's suspender.

Nathan looked down. "I forgot what a good babysitter this swing is." Then he looked over at Elizabeth and kissed her. "Good thing it's got lots of room."

She smiled at him as they moved back and forth. "I've missed this. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Nathan said. He raised his eyebrows and grinned. "And I didn't even have any pieces left over."

Elizabeth laughed. "Always a good sign." She looked out at Lee and Rosemary's house in the distance. "When are we meeting them at the fork?" Elizabeth asked.

Nathan looked up at the clock. "Half an hour. When is Julie getting here?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Same. But remember, it's not just Julie, it's also Lucas. Getting those two up this early and on time would be a miracle. Archie's going to watch Jack until they get here. He knows it might be a while."

Elizabeth snuggled in next to him and put her arm around Jack on his lap. "This is more like it," Elizabeth said. "I think we should keep it here and get another one for the porch."

Nathan laughed. "Were you thinking I was going to take this apart and put it together again every year?" He pulled her closer. "It's definitely staying here." He looked down at her. "I was actually thinking I might make another swing in the woodshop this winter. Something more... rustic, to fit with the surroundings."

Elizabeth smiled up at him. "That's a wonderful idea." She looked up at the clock again and sighed. It was nice sitting here and she didn't really want to get up. "You okay with Jack? I need to get ready."

"No problem," Nathan said, taking Jack's hands and pretending to hold a steering wheel. "Jack is going to teach me how to drive."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Really? Well, he'd better hurry up because you're getting behind the wheel in about twenty-eight minutes."

Elizabeth kissed Nathan and then kissed Jack on the head. As she was going down the hall, she heard Nathan say, "Okay, Jack, how do we turn this thing on?"

Elizabeth and Nathan waved goodbye to Archie and Jack and walked the short distance to the fork in their road that led off to the Coulters' house. Rosemary was in the back seat of their car, and Lee was walking around to the passenger side.

Lee grinned and looked at Nathan. "She's all yours. Don't embarrass me, okay? I told Rosemary I'm a good teacher."

"I'll do my best," Nathan said, helping Elizabeth into the back seat with Rosemary. It was their choice so they could talk easier, and it was also warmer in the back. "Next you can teach me how to ride your motorcycle," Nathan said, winking at Lee.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him. "I can't wait to see you doing your rounds in your red serge on _that_ contraption."

Nathan smiled and raised his eyebrows at Lee. "Not a bad idea..."

Elizabeth leaned up and said softly, "Yes, but is a Mountie still a Mountie if he's not mounted?"

Nathan laughed and Lee said, nodding, "That's one of _your_ jokes, isn't it? You're lucky Elizabeth thinks you're funny."

"Don't I know it," Nathan said. Then he looked down at his feet and asked loudly, "Okay, so _where's_ the brake?"

Rosemary gasped in the back seat and Nathan turned around and gave her his crooked smile. "Kidding."

"Oh, you!" Rosemary said, cuffing him on the arm.

Nathan did very well. He didn't stall the car once, which led Lee to gloat about how he might start driving lessons on the side. The roads were nice and clear in the warmth of the sun after last night's light snow.

Lee and Nathan talked companionably about automobiles and motorcycles, about the sawmill, and about the need for a mayor in town.

Elizabeth talked with Rosemary about their plans for Christmas, how she was looking forward to seeing Stella and Jessie again, and how happy they were that Charlie and Rebecca were coming too.

"Remember," Rosemary said, "We have extra bedrooms as well. And Lee and I were talking. We'd like to have everyone over on Christmas eve for cider to celebrate our new house. And it's Violet's first Christmas, and we're _so_ excited about that!"

"We would love to!" Elizabeth said, "And you'll join us for Christmas dinner? Allie and Nathan have a long-standing tradition that they go fishing on Christmas morning to see who catches the biggest fish, so we'll be having fish for lunch, but for _dinner..."_

Rosemary frowned. "Elizabeth. You're not fixing a full Christmas dinner for a crowd in your condition, are you?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Not all of it, certainly. Again, Julie, Lucas and Gustav to the rescue. I would highly recommend having a sister in the restaurant business." She raised an eyebrow. "Though I wonder sometimes if Julie considers her traveling dinners as simply good advertising."

Rosemary laughed. "Nothing wrong with that. We've had three dinners at Le Bistro already, two with Violet and one just the two of us, and it's an utterly charming place to eat, Elizabeth. Julie has done a superb job." She raised her hand with a flourish. "_Magnifique!"_

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "We find ourselves having trouble just getting out of the house. One of these evenings, we'll simply go." Elizabeth looked for a moment at Rosemary. "How are you feeling?"

Rosemary took a deep breath. "Nervous. Anxious. Excited." She took Elizabeth's gloved hand and shook her head. "We know Violet so well now, and it's... _strange_ to think of meeting her mother. But also wonderful." She looked out at the passing countryside for a moment. "I think only _you_ will understand this, Elizabeth, but..."

She paused for so long, that Elizabeth said, "Yes?"

Rosemary continued, biting her lip. "I feel like... like... Violet _wants_ us to do this. To take care of her mother and grandfather." She frowned. "Is that slightly crazy?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Oh, you're asking the queen of crazy when it comes to talking to babies, Rosemary. I'm keeping up a constant conversation with three of them," Elizabeth said, smiling at her friend. "I think you're very sane."

Rosemary shrugged. "I'm just... as they say... _going with the flow._ The way we learned in acting school. I'm trying not to overthink it."

"Did you find anything out about Violet's father?" Elizabeth asked.

Rosemary nodded. "He worked on the railroad. They met in town and she fell in love. And then he went where the work went, with the railroad. Frances has never heard from him again."

Elizabeth said, "That must have been very hard for her."

Sighing, Rosemary said, "Yes. And Violet was born in early April, so Frances went through a hard winter before that. She's a strong girl."

"She'd have to be," Elizabeth said softly.

They sat in silence for a time, and Elizabeth said a prayer of thanks. When she'd learned she was expecting little Jack, she'd received sympathy and compliments on her bravery at doing it alone. Now, hearing about Frances, not only without the man she loved, but also in cold and hungry conditions, she felt a little ashamed at having occasionally felt sorry for herself.

Elizabeth moved her hands into her coat pockets to hold her babies and took a deep breath. She had a husband who adored her, a warm and loving home, such good friends, the best of medical care; it was hard to fathom how her life could be any more blessed.

They passed a sign that said it was one mile to Brookfield, and Rosemary sat up straight, taking Elizabeth's hand in hers again.

Lee turned around and looked at Rosemary. "You sure you want to do this, sweetheart?" he said softly. "We can turn around right now."

Rosemary pursed her lips and shook her head. "No. I don't want to turn around. I need to do this."

They were meeting with Gabe before driving out to the New Hope Orphanage for the meeting. The orphanage felt like a neutral space, and there were plenty of rooms where they could talk away from the children.

Gabe had been asked for the meeting and had readily agreed, but he didn't know exactly what they wanted to talk about. It wasn't inappropriate for foster parents to learn as much as they needed to care for the child in the best way possible.

"You wanted to talk before we go out to the orphanage? So, how can I help you?" Gabe asked from behind the desk. Rosemary, Lee, Elizabeth and Nathan were sitting across from him.

"We want to help them, Gabriel," Rosemary said, sitting in his office. "They must be cold out there. Can we get them into the boarding house in town, or is there someplace they can live to be warm and safe?"

Gabe looked at her for a long moment. He liked Lee and Rosemary very much. They had generously and selflessly come to help the people of Brookfield after the devastating fire in town, bringing lumber so they could rebuild. He didn't relish giving them bad news.

"Rosemary. Lee. You do understand that your fostering of Violet until March is predicated on the fact that her mother lives in conditions that are not appropriate or safe for a baby?"

Rosemary nodded. Lee was silent, because he could see right away where this was going. Nathan was kicking himself for not having thought it through and come to the same conclusion.

Gabe continued. "If you help them... if you improve their living conditions... there's a very good chance that the court will be forced to give Violet back to her mother."


	86. Chapter 86

Rosemary simply stared back at Gabe.

"So you're saying that I need to make a choice between having Violet and doing what's right? That's no choice at all."

Lee put his hand on Rosemary's arm and looked at Gabe and Nathan. "Is there any middle ground here? Can we help them... a _little?"_ He didn't really like how that sounded, but he had to know where the line was drawn.

Nathan said, "That's a subjective determination that the judge in the case would make. And, correct me if I'm wrong, Gabe, but I believe Bill would need to visit the residence and make his determination from there?"

Gabe nodded. "That's one option. The other is to have a licensed social worker give his or her recommendation to the judge as to the living conditions."

Elizabeth asked, "Aren't Lillian and Grace licensed?"

Gabe raised his eyebrows. "Yes... " He took a deep breath. "Look, whoever makes the determination, whether it's Lillian, Grace or Judge Avery... we can't ignore the fact that these are all _involved_ parties. They would need to form objective opinions about a situation that could potentially hurt people they care about." He narrowed his eyes. "It's not ideal."

Lee sighed. "Well, that's an understatement if I've ever heard one."

Throughout this discussion, Elizabeth was watching Rosemary, whose face was becoming darker and more set with every comment. Finally, she could stay silent no longer.

"No," Rosemary said firmly, looking at Gabe. "If we love that little girl, and we do..." she said, looking at Lee with tears in her eyes, "...I _cannot_ let her mother and her grandfather freeze to death or become ill on the chance that we might lose her. If Bill or Lillian or Grace think that she can be safely with Frances and Harold, then I will abide by their decision. But I will _not_ let them live that way while we sit safe and warm. I can't do that and continue to look into Violet's eyes..." Elizabeth was at the ready, and she put her arms around Rosemary the moment before she lost control and began to cry.

Lee held Rosemary from the other side, rubbing her back and feeling his own loss. Nathan put a hand on Lee's shoulder. All four remained that way, connected, for a long moment.

As with the case of all Mounties, Gabe had sat with loss and grief multiple times. It was a part of his job. He and Nathan shared a glance, both understanding that most of the time there are no easy answers. The law is the law, but surrounding those parameters, there are nothing but gray areas – messy, emotional minefields.

This was a decision that only Lee and Rosemary could make, and it couldn't be rushed.

After a long moment, Lee took a deep breath and looked at Gabe. "I agree with Rosemary. We do what we can to help them through the winter and let the chips fall where they may."

Rosemary turned to Lee, her face tear-stained. She put her hand on his face and whispered brokenly, "Thank you. I love you."

He reached out and held her tightly. "Thank _you_ for always doing the right thing. I might not have. You're right about this." He kissed her cheek softly. "I love you, too, Rosie."

Gabe paused and then nodded, speaking softly. "Alright. We'll proceed with the meeting, then. I'll talk to Bill about whether he would like to attend to this personally, or would prefer to go on Lillian and Grace's recommendation."

Leaning forward on his desk, Gabe said, "There are vacancies at the boarding house. If Harold and Frances agree, you can make any payment arrangements with Mrs. Mayfair. If you want to open an account for them at the General Store, you can work that out with Joe Moody." He looked from Lee to Rosemary. "This is assuming they will accept the help. The last time I talked to Harold I could see he's a proud man, but that was before this last round of cold weather. All you can do is ask."

They all sat in silence for a moment. Rosemary was drying her tears, and now her face showed nothing but resolve.

Lee put out his hand. "Thank you, Gabe. For being so clear about all this. We appreciate it."

Standing and shaking his hand over the desk, Gabe said, "You're welcome, Lee. And I'd like to commend you both for what you're wanting to do. It would make a real difference in the quality of their lives." He turned to get his hat down from the peg. "If you're ready, we should get on our way. It's likely they're waiting for us."

Gabe rode alongside Lee's car, and this time, Lee drove, with Rosemary in front. Nathan and Elizabeth sat in the back. They all rode in silence, lost in their own thoughts and wondering how this day would end. But each couple had their hands linked tightly together.

Eleanor and Lillian were on the porch when they came in view of the orphanage.

"Hello," Lillian said, waving as Lee pulled the car in next to the house. She walked around and hugged Rosemary and then looked at Elizabeth after Nathan helped her out of the back seat.

"Oh, my," Lillian said, smiling.

Elizabeth nodded, laughing. "I know."

Lillian put her arm through Elizabeth's. "You forget that you looked a little like this when we first met you, but then, you were due any day. How many more months do you have to go?"

It dawned on Elizabeth. "That's _right._ You and Grace and the children came to Hope Valley just before Christmas, and Jack was born on Christmas Eve." She put her hands on her stomach. "Three more months, believe it or not." She leaned in to Lillian. "We think it's twins. They run in both of our families."

Lillian smiled over at Nathan, who was on Elizabeth's other side. "How wonderful! Well, you've had a long drive, so let's have you meet Frances and Harold and then get you some lunch." Rosemary and Lee were a step ahead of her, and they turned and stopped to listen.

Lillian paused for a moment and said to all four of them, "They're very nice. Very quiet. I don't think they really talk to people often." Lillian smiled. "Grace has had to tone it down a little so she doesn't frighten them."

Rosemary turned and soundlessly nodded to Lee. She wanted to let him know that she had heard Lillian and that she would do her best to stifle her natural enthusiasm.

They walked in the front door and a man in his sixties and a young girl popped up from the couch as if they were attached to each other by a string.

Frances was tiny, standing just at five feet, if that. She was stick-thin, with long, lank blonde hair that fell straight to her shoulders, and she looked much younger than her nineteen years. She wore a light blue cotton dress that had seen far too many washings and mendings, and a thin wool coat that hung off of her shoulders. Her eyes were bright and sharp, and Elizabeth got the feeling that Frances didn't miss much as they darted back and forth between the five strangers standing just inside the door.

Of course, Elizabeth thought, Frances doesn't know which of us is the foster mother. She stepped back slightly, to give Rosemary the chance to move forward and introduce herself.

Rosemary put her gloved hand out slowly, as if she were trying to touch a fearful wild animal. "I'm Rosemary Coulter. You must be Frances?"

Elizabeth breathed softly. She had never, in all the time she'd known Rosemary, heard this tone to her voice. The tenderness of it, and the sweetness of wanting to make Frances feel comfortable, brought quick tears to Elizabeth's eyes, and made her love Rosemary even more than she already did.

Frances actually attempted a small curtsey, and suddenly Rosemary wished she had worn something different, less ostentatious. She immediately pulled her hand back and removed her glove so that she could touch Frances' fingers, and she felt how cold they were, each bone in her hand separate and feeling like it might break through the skin at any moment.

Harold was Frances' physical opposite in almost every way. Tall, leanly muscular and dark, with short-cropped gray hair and beard, he had deep circles under his eyes and a face that had seen far too many hardships. He wore a plaid shirt that was so thin in places, the separate threads were visible, and over that, faded denim overalls. His corduroy jacket had patches on the elbows and was far too short for him in length and in the sleeves.

Elizabeth's heart clenched, knowing that the two people standing before her were wearing the best and warmest clothes they owned. And it was the middle of winter.

Even if Rosemary had changed her mind in Gabe's office, Elizabeth knew there was nothing that would have swayed her from reaching out to Harold and Frances once she'd met them.

Everyone was introduced, and Lillian said brightly, "Let's have some lunch. Eleanor has put together something wonderful for us, I'm sure."

As they walked toward the dining room, Grace took hold of Elizabeth's arm and walked with her.

"How's the cowboy?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

Grace smiled happily. "Still doing cowboy things," she said. "We see each other a lot, and we both seem to be pretty happy about that."

"I hear you had a bit of an adventure on the way home," Elizabeth said, raising her eyebrows.

"We did," Grace laughed. "I rode bareback on a cold, wet horse for twelve miles in a snowstorm, and that's not something I'll forget for a long time." She leaned closer to Elizabeth, "But I got a couple of kisses and lots of respect for it. So I'd say it was worth it." She winked at Elizabeth.

Grace finally looked down at the growing bump under Elizabeth's coat. She raised her eyebrows, and in the way that people often do with pregnant women, she simply reached out and put her hand there.

It had been a slight shock to Elizabeth when she was carrying Jack, how personal space seemed to disappear when you're expecting a baby. Some people would ask, but many would simply lay their hand on her stomach as if, because of the fact that it was jutting into what would normally be empty space, it somehow belonged to them as much as it did to her.

But once Elizabeth realized that they only wanted to get closer to the miracle of new life, to touch this great mystery somehow, she learned not to flinch.

"Sit next to me," Grace said.

Elizabeth turned and Nathan was already holding out the chair for her next to Grace. Then he sat down on the other side of her, with Harold on his other side. Not surprisingly, Rosemary and Frances ended up next to each other. Nathan smiled when he saw Gabe maneuver into the spot next to Lillian.

There was no formality to the meal, no agenda. The meeting was planned for after lunch. Elizabeth tried to only look occasionally at Frances, but she found herself very drawn to her. She knew it was because Frances seemed young and fragile, the way some of her students did. Especially those who had grown up on farms with lots of brothers, those girls who could be forgotten by their overworked parents and rendered almost irrelevant by their lack of physical strength.

Those were the girls that Elizabeth worked to draw out, to find out where they could shine, and then encourage those abilities. Many had talents in music, in writing, in organization, in art. Elizabeth could see that, though Frances was almost paralyzingly shy, she had a lovely and quick smile, and a grace in her movements. Maybe in another life, perhaps one like Elizabeth's own in Hamilton, Frances could have been a dancer.

But fate hadn't handed Frances that life. And when Elizabeth felt herself overwhelmed by the unfairness she saw around her, she talked to God. She knew how to do it quickly and silently, and before her napkin was even in her lap she had asked for peace for this poor girl and her father.

Rosemary found herself leaning down very close to Frances, if only so she could hear her. Once Lillian had introduced Lee and Rosemary to Frances, all the girl wanted to know was how Mary was. They hadn't yet used the name Violet with her.

"She's growing very fast," Rosemary said, "She crawls everywhere, and if we put a toy just out of her reach, she'll go after it until she gets it."

Frances smiled. She was so hungry for every tiny piece of information. "And her tooth?" she asked, almost in a whisper. "It was hurtin' her bad, she couldn't sleep."

Lee said, "She has three of them now. Two on the bottom and one on the top, but there's another one just starting to poke through," he said. "It does make her cry some nights, but Vio... _Mary_ is a good girl, she doesn't fuss much."

Frances looked at him with those piercing eyes, and spoke so quietly he almost couldn't hear her. "She didn't have a name when you got her. It's not your fault you didn't know it. What do you call her?"

Lee looked at Rosemary, who nodded. He said softly, "Violet. It was my mother's name."

"Violet," Frances said. "That's pretty. It's a flower. That's a good name."

When Frances asked, they talked to her about Violet's friendship with Jack, about how she giggles watching the chickens, and about the frilly dresses that Rosemary sewed for her. Frances asked all about their house and the pond and the meadow as they described it to her. And about Hope Valley.

They both worried that it would make Frances sad to hear about her daughter, but it did the opposite. As they talked, Frances came out of her shell and even laughed a little.

Rosemary couldn't help herself. She reached out and put her arm around Frances, and before she knew it, the young girl was leaning against her shoulder. Rosemary wondered when the last time was that Frances had been held like this, by a woman, someone maternal, with tenderness.

"Frances," Rosemary said softly, brushing the hair from in front of the girl's eyes, "How would you feel about staying in the boarding house in Brookfield instead of up in the hills? In a room that's warm, with a soft bed. And your father, too? Would you let us do that for you?"

Frances looked over at her father, and for the first time, she and Rosemary realized that the conversation at the table had stopped. In fact, it seemed that everyone was holding their breath watching the two of them.

Frances sat up straight, and she was suddenly aware that she had been in an embrace with a virtual stranger. It had happened so naturally, and it felt so good to be held, that she'd done it without thinking. Her cheeks went red and she looked at Rosemary, wondering if she'd done something wrong.

"It's okay," Rosemary said, nodding. She looked over at Harold, who was seeing his daughter in a new light.

He'd heard it all. If he could have spoken, he would have expressed that the love he felt for Mary, the care that forced him to put her on the doorstep outside, was the same as the love he felt for Frances. And maybe these people were just another kind of doorstep.

"Frannie, you want to stay here in town?" He didn't know if he could spend another night watching her shiver in her bed on the floor. At this point, his pride was a distant memory. He'd exhausted every possibility. If these nice, rich people wanted to care for his daughter, he'd let them, and be grateful that God had answered his prayers.

Harold nodded to his daughter. "I'd like a nice warm bed, wouldn't you, Frannie?"

She nodded back and smiled up at Rosemary.

Harold looked at Rosemary. "Much obliged, ma'am," he said with tears in his eyes. "Much obliged."

Gabe smiled and looked at Lillian. It seemed there wouldn't be a need for a meeting after all.

The rest of the afternoon was spent arranging for two rooms at Mrs. Mayfair's while Gabe rode out with Harold to gather up the few things they needed. Nathan hired a horse from the livery and rode out with them so he could help with Harold's and Frances' things.

Nathan would never tell Elizabeth, Rosemary or Lee the stark reality of what he saw. He would hold that memory silently in his heart for the rest of his days. Every time he looked at Violet, he would thank God for whatever it was that compelled Harold to drop her on the orphanage's porch that night.

Harold had done the best he could with what he had. But what he had was so meager, so spare, that it was hard to believe two people could live in this space, much less three.

It turned out that their belongings could fit easily into Harold's homemade one-man buckboard. His old mare needed attention and Nathan vowed that when they got back to town he would personally see to a stall in the livery and ask that Chuck stop by and make sure she wasn't ill.

They had to get back on the road if they were going to get home before dark. Everyone said their goodbyes, until finally it was only Lee and Rosemary standing with Frances and Harold at the door to Mrs. Mayfair's.

Rosemary held Frances' hand. "You let Constable Kinslow know if you need anything, okay? It's not that far for us to come visit you, and maybe once you're settled and a little stronger, you can come see us?"

"I'd like that," Frances said.

Lee and Rosemary were holding their breath, waiting for the moment Frances asked about Violet. It wasn't what they expected.

Frances looked down at her feet, now wearing the slightly-too-large shoes that Rosemary had brought with her. She also had on a heavy wool coat and a scarf that was a cast-off to Rosemary, and to Frances was the nicest thing she'd ever owned.

She looked up at Rosemary and Lee, her eyes glistening. "I'm sorry I talked to the Mountie about taking Mary... _Violet,_ from you. I... I... didn't know what to do with her when I had her. She'd cry and I never knew what to do. I love her so much, and I think loving her means leaving her with you. For now, at least. Is that okay?"

Rosemary was exercising every ounce of control she had in her. Lee was silent, and his pursed lips were evidence he was doing the same.

"Is that what you want, Frances?" Rosemary said softly.

Frances reached out and touched the soft fur on the cuff of Rosemary's coat. "She's got a good life with you. You're good people. I can feel it." She looked up into Rosemary's eyes, and one tear slipped down her cheek. "And I know that anytime I ask, I can see her?"

Rosemary squeezed her hands. "Anytime. Anytime at all."

Frances looked at Lee. "You take care of her teeth, okay? Make sure they all grow in nice and straight. And they don't hurt her too much."

Lee smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. "We will, Frances."

"Maybe I'd like to see her at Christmas?" she said to Lee. "Just to give her a little present? I can sew. Make her a toy?"

Lee laughed softly. "She likes horses."

Frances nodded, brightening. "I can make her a horse."

Looking back at Rosemary, she said, "I like that she's with you."

Rosemary put her arms around Frances and hugged her tightly. "Stay in touch. Send a message anytime. And we'll bring Mary..."

Frances interrupted her. "Violet."

Rosemary smiled. "We'll bring Violet out to see you before Christmas."

Lee shook hands with Harold. "Don't forget about the account at the General Store. Whatever you need."

Harold nodded and looked at him sternly. "And once I get work, I'll pay you back every penny. My word on it."

"No hurry, Harold. You get on your feet and we'll talk then," Lee said.

While Rosemary and Lee walked to the car, Harold stood with Frances on the porch of Mrs. Mayfair's. Then, just as Rosemary was about to get into the car, Frances ran to her and gave her another hug.

Frances smiled and said, "Give Violet a kiss from me?"

"I will, Frances. I'll give her a kiss from you every morning and every night," Rosemary said.

Frances backed away slowly and waved as Nathan started up the car.

As they drove off, Lee inhaled deeply and let out a shuddering breath. Once they were out of sight, Elizabeth held Rosemary tightly in the back seat as she finally let go of everything and sobbed in her arms.


	87. Chapter 87

When Elizabeth and Nathan arrived back home, Julie and Lucas were just bringing Jack in from their day together, and they'd clearly had a wonderful time.

"You should have _seen_ the snowman we built!" Julie said, laughing as she and Lucas sat with Nathan, Elizabeth, and Jack at the harvest table. They were all enjoying cups of the hot chocolate Jack had been promised for being such a good boy.

Julie was laughing. "Lucas brought a top hat, a monocle and scarf to dress him, and do you remember that Latin tutor we had? Mr. Belvedere? I swear to you that the snowman looked _exactly_ like him! Right down to the carrot nose!"

Lucas had his arm through Julie's, and Elizabeth had noticed that the two of them were never very far apart these days. Over tea last week, Julie said that they hadn't progressed to the _I love you_ stage, but that it didn't feel far off.

When Elizabeth asked Julie if she loved Lucas, Julie had nodded, her cheeks coloring in an uncharacteristic way. At least it was what she thought love must be, because she'd never felt this way before. Julie knew she had a long road convincing her sister that she was serious after having told Elizabeth that she loved Tom Thornton, and more absurdly, Nate Tolliver. Those flirtations were primarily because they were handsome, and she was also driven by a desire to horrify her parents with the bad boys she had chosen.

This was completely different. It was based on common interests, shared dreams and a mutual attraction that was undeniable. It was taking all of Julie's restraint to wait until he professed his love first.

Elizabeth looked across the table at her sister and felt a wave of affection. Julie had grown up a lot, and was light years from the frivolous girl who had arrived on horseback six years ago for a visit to Hope Valley. Elizabeth wanted nothing more than for her to be happy.

_Lucas had better make her happy,_ Elizabeth thought. _Because if he's not serious, he's clearly leading her on._ Elizabeth had gone through times of not trusting Lucas, though she'd always felt that his heart was in the right place. But God help the man who toyed with her little sister's heart.

"Thank you so much for today," Elizabeth said, directly to Lucas. She had no doubts about Julie, but she'd wondered all day how Lucas was doing during an entire morning and afternoon with a two-year-old. It was their longest period of time together yet.

"Jack is a terrific boy," Lucas said softly, looking at both Elizabeth and Nathan. "He's bright and funny; just a delight to be with." Lucas turned, and for a long moment, he looked at Julie. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows slightly at Nathan. That was a look they both recognized. The look that says you can see your future in another person's eyes. Elizabeth's big sister antenna lowered slightly.

Nathan smiled. "It's a good thing you enjoyed it." He put his arm around Elizabeth's shoulders and said, "We may be in need of some help once we have three little ones running around."

"Oh, yes!" Julie was suddenly all business. "So, what's the timing for Hamilton? I was talking with Mother and she said they needed to make plans." Julie made a face at Elizabeth and did a perfect imitation of her mother. "The social schedule _looms_, darling. We have invitations to answer."

Lucas watched Julie and said, "I must admit, this trip is sounding ever more terrifying." He looked over at Nathan for help.

Laughing, Nathan put up his hands in surrender. "Don't look at me. I've never met the Thatchers."

Nodding, Lucas said, "That's _right_. They didn't come to the wedding." Lucas raised an eyebrow. "So, we can watch each other's backs, correct?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "You mean... like a team?"

Lucas looked back at him and smiled. "That would be something new," he said.

The two men looked at each other for a moment and then grinned. Once they'd stopped competing, they'd found they liked each other quite a lot, and they seemed to enjoy laughing over the time when it hadn't been quite so cordial. Nathan's apology at the wedding had paved the way for them to find out where they had common ground.

Of course, they were very different in some ways. Lucas had endeared himself to the community by grand gestures, and for Nathan it had been accomplished by quiet steadiness. Lucas was charming and eloquent, and Nathan only said what needed to be said. Lucas put up with horses as a sometimes required form of travel, and for Nathan, being on the back of a horse was as natural and as necessary as breathing.

But they both loved reading books and quiet conversation among good friends, and each had a desire to make the world into a better place than it was before they arrived in it. Nathan loved working artistically with wood, and though few knew it, Lucas had a full herb garden in which he puttered, for the saloon and now Le Bistro, for the savory and aromatic herbs that went into Gustav's recipes. But the thing that had joined them here today at the Grant's harvest table was that each of them loved a Thatcher girl. Very much.

Julie looked at Elizabeth. "Mother and Father already think you're a lost cause, but you know they're going to try very hard to get me to move back. And they will say move back _home,_ but they can't understand that _this_ is my home now."

Julie turned and looked at Lucas, who smiled and lifted her hand to his lips. She said sadly, "I want you to come, but I don't want to be selfish. They really can be ruthless, you know."

"It's because they love you," Lucas said softly. "I can be ruthless too." He didn't finish his statement with _for the same reason,_ but it was clearly implied. The meaning of what he'd just said wasn't lost on anyone, least of all Julie, who actually sighed audibly.

Elizabeth leaned down to catch Julie's eye, but it wasn't easy prying them from Lucas' face. "So, the schedule? The thing that started this conversation?"

Julie took a deep breath. "Yes! The schedule. When are we going to Hamilton, and when are we coming back? I need to be sure the bistro is covered during that time, and I would think we need to consider making travel arrangements. I don't think I want to spend three days on a train in anything less than a sleeping cabin and they _do_ go fast."

Elizabeth simply stared at her. "Julie. You remember why we're going, right? And you know that babies don't always arrive on a schedule?"

Julie frowned. "But you must have _some_ idea," she said.

Elizabeth laughed. "Yes. They'll be born sometime in 1918."

Julie tilted her head and said, "Now you're just teasing me!"

Reaching out and taking her hand, Elizabeth said, "Yes, a little." She looked at Nathan. "We just saw Carson the other day, and he's guessing sometime in the first two weeks in March. He's said we should plan on traveling to Hamilton in the last week of February."

Nathan said, "Carson is going with us. He said Faith can watch the Infirmary while he's gone."

Julie said, "Good! That gives us a starting point at least."

Jack had been very good and quiet through all this conversation, and now he finished his hot chocolate with a loud slurp. Elizabeth turned to him and said, "Jack!" At which point, of course, Nathan had to lean down and slurp his hot chocolate, sending Jack into giggles.

Elizabeth exhaled and said to Julie and Lucas, "I tell you, it's like having two children at the table sometimes."

Nathan grinned at her and nodded happily in agreement. "It is." He picked Jack up and kissed Elizabeth's cheek. Then he looked at Lucas and Julie and said, "Well, if you'll excuse us, the _children_ are going to go play. I've hardly seen this little man all day."

He put Jack on his shoulders and went over to the fire to add another couple of pieces of wood to it. Then he got down on the floor on his stomach and started making a barn with Jack's building blocks.

Lucas pulled out his watch and opened it. "We should get back for the first dinner guests at the bistro," he said to Julie. He looked at Elizabeth. "No rest for the wicked," he said, smiling at her.

Elizabeth nodded. "It seems like it's going well. Rosemary was just saying today that she and Lee have been there three times and have just loved it."

Julie stood up and went to get her coat. "That's always a pleasure to hear." She wrapped her scarf around her neck. "We're about three-quarters reserved through Christmas, which is amazing. To make a profit we need about sixty percent, so I think I'm already lining Mr. Bouchard's pockets nicely for his investment." She looked up at Lucas, who was buttoning his own coat.

Lucas laughed. "And skeptical me, thinking that we would probably operate at a small loss for the first year."

Elizabeth stood looking at Julie. Her sister, the businesswoman, talking about percentages and profits and operating costs. The girl that most of Hamilton thought would marry suitably and become a beacon of the city's social scene. Instead, here she was in Hope Valley, co-owner of a restaurant and well on her way to complete independence. Elizabeth couldn't be more proud.

Julie and Lucas went over to the living room where Jack and Nathan were on the floor. Julie picked Jack up and snuggled his neck, "Night night, my favorite nephew," she said, kissing his soft cheek.

By way of reward, Jack looked her right in the eye and said, "Nite nite."

"Thanks again," Nathan said, shaking hands with Lucas from his spot on the floor. "It meant a lot to Rosemary and Lee that we could go with them."

Lucas nodded. "Just very glad it turned out so well," he said, ruffling Jack's hair. Julie gave Nathan a kiss on the cheek, and then they both hugged Elizabeth at the door and began their walk back to the restaurant.

A half hour later, Nathan and Elizabeth were able to return to the spot they'd enjoyed only for a few moments first thing this morning. And instead of calling it the porch swing, it had become the sunroom swing.

The only disadvantage to the location of the swing was the fact that Nathan and Elizabeth couldn't watch the sunset from there. Or so they thought at first. As with many disadvantages, there was an unexpected gift attached.

Instead of squinting into the ball of fire as it dipped below the horizon beyond the pond, they were watching as the setting sun painted the stands of tall trees behind the house, and seeing the way it reflected off of the Coulters' windows in the distance.

The majestic sugar pines just beyond the back fencing were changing to a lighter hue of deep green, with a tinge of orange, yellow and pink, as Elizabeth and Nathan gazed out from the swing. Jack was lying down next to Nathan, and after his day-long picnic and an energetic session of snowman-building with a chaser of hot chocolate, he was already sound asleep with the motion of the swing.

Nathan laughed softly. "You were watching Lucas very carefully earlier. But _not_ in a good way." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "As a person trained in the investigative arts, I would describe you as... as we say in the Mountie business... _sizing him up."_

Elizabeth frowned. "Julie's getting very serious about him. I just want to know if he feels the same way about her. I don't want her getting hurt."

Nathan sighed and shook his head. "I'm so glad we're far past that point. It's such a dance, isn't it? I had no experience, and I remember wondering who says _I love you_ first, and once you decide it's true, _when_ do you do it, and how..."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "I seem to recall that I made it very easy for you. You were going away and I didn't want you to leave without telling you."

Nathan stroked her face. "And I recall saying that I'd already said it thousands of times in my head, so it felt good to say it out loud." This time, he really kissed her. It was their first real moment alone since early this morning, and with Jack sound asleep next to him on the swing, Nathan was going to take advantage of it.

Elizabeth felt slightly light-headed, lost in the kiss as the swing moved back and forth gently. It felt like it had been a long day and she finally felt relaxed...

The back door slammed and Archie and Allie came in, laughing. "I think I won, Grandpa. Those two fish are as close to equal length as they can get. Mine is fatter, though!"

Archie said, "Ha! Didn't think we were measuring around the middle, just how long they are. No fair changing the rules in the middle of the game, missy!"

"Mom? Dad?" Allie called out from the hallway.

"Shhhhh," Elizabeth whispered, "Jack's asleep."

Allie poked her head in the sunroom. "What are you two doing sitting here in the dark?"

Nathan looked back at her and whispered, "It wasn't dark when we sat down. We watched the sunset. And it _got_ dark."

Allied raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't notice," she said, flipping on the floor lamp. She grinned at them in the swing and said softly, "Well, at least now I'll always know where I can find you." Turning to head out to the hallway, she said, "Gotta go clean some fish for dinner."

"Good girl," Elizabeth said. "Thank you."

Nathan turned to her and said softly, "I remember her so well at this age, when Sarah would visit the ranch." He was idly stroking Jack's back and looking down at him on the swing. "It happens so fast." He reached his hand out and placed it on Elizabeth's stomach. "I don't want to miss any of this."

"You're not going to. Bill will cover for you and you've let Headquarters know the timeline." She reached up and touched his face. "You'll be there for it all."

Nathan laughed softly. "Which simultaneously thrills and terrifies me."

Elizabeth smiled at him in the soft lamplight. "Nathan. You deserve a joyful birth experience with your own children. We're going to have that together. And hopefully it will help to heal some bad memories for you."

He leaned his head back on the swing and looked at her. "Tell me you're already seeing this, and I'll believe it."

Running her fingers through the hair at his neck, she said, "I am seeing it. Believe it."

"Okay," he whispered. He kissed her cheek and said "After today, I think I'll believe anything."

"It was beautiful, wasn't it? A perfect lesson in letting go. Rosemary and Lee were ready to give up Violet in order to do the right thing. And then, by doing the right thing, they got to keep Violet."

Nathan looked over at the soft lights shining through the living room windows across the way. "I wonder what they're doing right now?" he asked softly.

"I imagine they're counting their blessings," Elizabeth said, leaning over to kiss her handsome husband. "Just as I am."

Right now, Lee and Rosemary were in their bedroom with Violet between them on the soft down comforter that covered their big bed. They'd changed from their traveling clothes to more comfortable things, and they were lying on either side of their little girl, simply watching her.

Violet was in the process of bending into a shape that allowed her to suck on her toes, and though they tried a few times to discourage it, Violet wasn't having it. Finally, they decided to praise her for her flexibility and laugh with her about how silly it was.

"Mommy wishes she could do that, Violet," Lee said softly.

Rosemary laughed softly, "Believe me, so does Daddy," she whispered, stopping for some kisses on her way back to her place on her own pillow.

Lee reached over and took Rosemary's hand between them. "You were magnificent today, Rosie," he said to her, his eyes sparkling in the lamplight. "_Lead from love, and love will find you._ I remember my mother saying that to me. That's what you did today."

Rosemary smiled softly at him. "I didn't have a choice." She looked down at Violet. "This one... was guiding me. And God."

Lee smiled, "Clearly they were working together." He bent and kissed Rosemary. "How do you feel knowing that tonight, finally, Frances and Harold are sleeping in warm beds and not feeling hungry?"

Rosemary thought for a moment. "I feel like things are in place, that all is right with the world." She leaned down and put her head next to Violet's, and the little girl snuggled in next to her.

Rosemary got up on her elbows and looked into Violet's face. She could see Frances there now. The brilliant eyes and wise stare. And something in the way her mouth turned down a little when she smiled. Rosemary liked knowing that those features belonged to the sweet girl she'd met today.

She leaned down and kissed Violet very slowly and gently on the cheek, keeping her promise.

"This is from Frances. She loves you very much, Violet.


	88. Chapter 88

This time, Nathan knew the way.

Last year it had been only the three of them, but today the group also included Jack, Archie, Julie and Lucas.

It seemed that the ideal spot to find a Christmas tree was no longer a secret, and Elizabeth didn't mind a bit.

They all started out together, but little by little, Julie and Lucas veered off.

Elizabeth had her arm through Nathan's, and he was carrying Jack on his shoulders. Archie was walking with them, having given up trying to keep up with Allie as she kept running ahead.

Archie turned to Nathan and smiled as they walked together. "If you'd told me a year ago that I'd be here, doing this with all of you, I would have said you'd lost your mind," he said. His voice was filled with emotion as he reached up to touch Jack's hand. "You've got no idea what this means to me. The simple act of picking a tree for Christmas..." He took a deep breath and looked at his son. "Didn't know if I'd ever have the pleasure of doing something like this with family again."

Nathan nodded, putting his arm around Archie's shoulders. "I'm sorry you had to spend so many Christmases in there, Dad. I don't imagine they put much effort into holidays in the justice system."

Archie raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't know. Extra helpings of turkey if you bribed the guards." He winked at Elizabeth.

"Oh, Archie," she said, reaching across in front of Nathan to touch Archie's hand. "We're so glad to have you with us. And no bribery necessary for extra turkey this year." She smiled at him. "Though a hug is always welcome."

Archie laughed. "That's not a bribe, Elizabeth. That's just a good trade."

He turned back toward the path, and Elizabeth saw his face darken. "What is it, Archie?" she asked.

Shaking his head, he said, "Just thinking of Donnie. Still in there." He brightened and turned to her, "I wrote him and said Stella and Jessie were coming for the holidays. Just got an answer back. Donnie's happier about that than I can ever remember him being about anything. He says he can't thank you all enough."

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Maybe one year Donnie will be able to join us too."

Archie looked at her and then looked at Nathan. "You found a woman with a very good heart, son."

"I don't know much, Dad, but, oh boy, do I know that," Nathan said, looking over at Elizabeth and kissing her gently on the forehead.

They walked on for a while, trying to find the right tree to stand in front of the windows looking out over the pond. Then Elizabeth spoke.

"I think Christmas last year was hard for all of us, Archie." She looked up at Nathan and said, "Nathan and I talked right here in this stand of trees about how difficult it was to make Christmas special for a child when you're doing it alone."

Archie frowned. "You two weren't together last Christmas?"

Elizabeth looked over at Archie and smiled. "Nathan and I were going through some challenges last year at this time."

Archie smiled back. "Looks to me like you got them worked out."

Elizabeth and Nathan looked at each other. Elizabeth said, gratefully, "We did."

"Of course, the Christmas _before_ last," Nathan said, "Allie and I were posted at Fort Simpson." He shook his head. "Allie was great about it, but on Christmas morning we were all required to muster to the Mess Hall to listen to our commander recap the year behind us and set goals for the year ahead." He raised his eyebrows. _"That_ was a banner Christmas day."

Elizabeth laughed. "Allie told me what you said to her when she mentioned how boring that was." She smiled at him. "_'At least there were a lot of fellows in red suits?' _Did you really say that?"

Nathan grinned. "You know me, always looking on the bright side."

Archie said, "How well do you remember Christmases in Airdrie, son?"

Nathan thought for a moment. "I remember the ones when Sarah and I were about eight or nine the best." He looked over at Archie, frowning slightly. "What _was_ that sled that we used to use? We would find some huge tree and bring it back behind Nugget..."

"I made that," Archie said, proudly. We started with the wagon, but it was never big enough for the tree you three wanted."

Nathan laughed. "We had high ceilings," he said.

"And I always ended up having to cut the top off to get the star on, if you remember," Archie laughed too.

Nathan said, "Do you remember the year that Sarah and I got new saddles?' We kept looking under the tree and I think we each got a pair of socks."

Archie raised his eyebrow. "That was fun to watch," he said, winking at Elizabeth.

Nathan continued. "So, finally, there's nothing left under the tree and Mom says, 'Well, time for chores,' and Sarah and I dragged ourselves out to the barn to muck out the stalls, and there they were," Nathan said, his eyes alive with the memory. "Two of the prettiest saddles I'd ever seen."

"Like shiny new pennies," Archie said. He looked around to Elizabeth. "I had their names stamped in the leather so they couldn't fight over whose belonged to who."

Nathan and Archie walked for a bit in silence, and Elizabeth had no intention of disturbing it. This was a conversation, like so many these days, that Nathan and Archie had never had before.

Jack was wriggling a little on Nathan's shoulders, and Archie reached up to him. Jack put out his arms for him. "Why don't we go see how Allie is doing, Jackie?" he said.

Nathan looked over at his father. "Thanks, Dad."

They watched Archie walk away, holding tight to Jack's hand, and then they were alone. Nathan gazed at Elizabeth and looked around. He took her hand and walked through until he found a spot that was surrounded by thick fir trees.

Nathan put his arms around her and touched her hair softly. "I wanted to tell you something. Last year, walking through these trees with you? I couldn't remember being so happy to be with another person. It was such a beautiful day."

"And you said there was nowhere else you'd rather be." Suddenly, Elizabeth looked up at him. "Nathan. I've never asked you this. Right after you said that, you said my name, and you were about to tell me something but then Allie called us. What were you going to say?"

Nathan looked down and then up into her eyes. "I was going to ask you if I should take the Inspector's job. And if you seemed shocked that I'd asked you, I was going to tell you that I was asking because of Allie."

"And what if I'd just said, 'Don't go'?" she asked softly.

"I would have kissed you," he said, almost in a whisper. "I'd be embarrassed to tell you how many times I've thought about that moment. How it could have gone another way."

Elizabeth smiled at him with love in her eyes. She put her arms around him more tightly. "In your defense, you did get interrupted _a lot_ when you were about to say something important. It really wasn't fair."

Nathan laughed and said softly, "I had ideas about how I wanted to say things, and when I lost my concentration like that, I figured I'd mess it up." He looked into her eyes. "And it mattered. _You_ mattered. I already loved you then, you know."

Elizabeth looked up at him tenderly. "Honestly, it was never loving you that was the problem, it was the _courting,_ the public nature of it." She looked down at the buttons on his coat. "I just didn't know how long was the right amount of time... to..."

"To grieve," he said simply.

She looked up sharply. "Yes."

He smiled at her. "And aside from the fact that I thought you'd already chosen Lucas... I know you understand about the brotherhood of the Mounties, but I'm not sure you know how difficult it was for me to... I didn't want to take advantage of the feelings my uniform might bring up for you. The good and the bad."

Elizabeth put her hand on his cheek. "Nathan. You've never told me that." She nodded. "And you're right. That was a part of the confusion. I was attracted to the red serge and afraid of it. But it didn't take me long to see... _you._ Inside the uniform. Completely separate. And I fell in love with you, almost in spite of the uniform."

Nathan laughed softly. "So while we were walking through these trees a year ago... all _that_ was going through our heads. And through it all, I was fighting the urge to just take you in my arms and kiss you."

Elizabeth laughed. "That would have been a surprise."

He looked at her intently. "What would you have done?"

They were standing so close that he could see the gold flecks in her eyes, sparkling in the winter sunlight, and her eyes were entirely focused on him.

Elizabeth asked softly, "Where would Allie have been when you made this bold move?"

"Far away, looking for the perfect tree," he said, moving closer to her.

"Well, then," Elizabeth said softly, her lips only inches from his, "I would have kissed you back."

Nathan bent down slightly and touched her lips with his. They were both thinking of that day a year ago, and they could imagine this kiss as if it was their first, as it would have been that day.

The sounds of the forest were all around them, and they could even hear Julie's voice echoing through the trees. There was birdsong, and the faint whisper of the wind in the branches, and still they held tightly to each other, remembering and wondering what would have been different if they'd given in to their impulses on that day so long ago.

And separately, they realized that they didn't want anything to be different. The two people they were now were the only people they wanted to be. No regrets. No what ifs.

As Nathan moved his lips from hers, Elizabeth sighed and opened her eyes. "Do you remember what I said to you that day?" She brushed her fingers across his cheek. "When it's right, you can just feel it."

Nathan smiled at her. "I thought you were talking about finding the perfect Christmas tree," he said.

Before she leaned up and kissed him again, she said, "Oh, is that what you thought I was talking about...?"

"Dad? Mom?" Allie's voice came through the trees, and they laughed softly, holding each other. Nathan looked at her as if to say, _Ready?_ Elizabeth nodded, hoping the pink in her cheeks would be mistaken for cold.

"Here, Allie!" Nathan called out, and he led Elizabeth by the hand out to the main path.

"I found it!" Allie said. "Grandpa and Jack have it staked out so no one else can get it. We could hear Aunt Julie getting closer..."

"Let's go, then," Elizabeth said, laughing. "Lead the way, Allie."

And there it was. The perfect tree. The perfect size and shape. The kind of tree that you look at and you not only know exactly where it will go, but what it will look like completely decorated.

"Allie," Nathan said, shaking his head. "Two years in a row?" He turned to Elizabeth and said, "That's it. She picks out our tree every year."

"Deal." Elizabeth said.

Nathan and Archie got on each end of the saw and had the tree down within minutes. "I'll bring the wagon around," Archie said. "You want to bring Jack and come with me, Alliebeck?"

Turning to Nathan, Allie said, "Will you guard the tree?"

Nathan's face turned very serious. "I am a Mountie, after all."

Allie laughed and rolled her eyes at him. Then she took Jack's hand and said, "Let's go see the horsey!" as they turned to the path Archie had just gone down. "Can Jack and I hold the reins, Grandpa?" Allie called, following after him.

Elizabeth could only wonder at his answer, because their voices were lost in the trees.

They might have had thirty seconds of silence.

"Elizabeth!" Julie's voice called out. First she came around the corner and then Lucas, laughing and trying to keep up with her.

"Is this a race?" he said breathlessly, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Yes, it is! A race against time!" she said, laughing. Looking up at him she said, "You do realize that we have _four_ trees to put up? My house and yours, _plus_ the main room of the saloon, and then, Le Bistro?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "No, my tree is the one in the saloon. I don't need one at home." He looked behind Julie and saw Elizabeth shaking her head with a smile and wide eyes as if to say, _This is not a battle you will win. It's futile._ Nathan looked as if he was about to witness an accident.

Julie turned to him, aghast. "You don't put a Christmas tree in your house?"

Looking halfway at Elizabeth and Nathan and then back to Julie, he said tentatively, "Yes-s-s, I do." Then he looked at Julie and said, "But all the ornaments go on the tree in the saloon, so I don't usually...

"Oh, I have boxes and boxes of them. Mother didn't like to have the same ornaments two years in a row, so she would have them put in boxes upstairs. Then she would forget." Julie smiled prettily at him.

Lucas sighed. He did have to admit that winter was a good look on Julie. Her red hair against her white wool cap, paired with the glow in her cheeks...

"Whatever you want," he said softly. And behind her, he saw Elizabeth smile and Nathan nod.

Lucas had certainly known a number of women, but Julie was like none of them. Being with her reminded him of the roller coaster he'd ridden three summers ago on Coney Island. That feeling of uncertainty, of slight danger, the climb, the wind in your hair, and fear that turns to laughter. And then when it's over, you only want to ride it again.

He probably shouldn't have done it right there in the clearing in front of Nathan and Elizabeth, but it wasn't really a decision. Lucas took Julie's face in his hands and kissed her.

Nathan took Elizabeth's hand and walked with her over to their Christmas tree. She looked up at him with a question in her eyes. He smiled and whispered, "I'm the last person who wants to interrupt a man when he has something important to say."

Elizabeth giggled as they walked to a spot on the path out of earshot.

Lucas pulled away and looked into Julie's eyes. He wasn't aware of anyone or anything beyond her lovely face. Before he thought too hard about it, he said, softly, "I love you, Julia."

Julie gasped and then beamed, her eyes sparkling. She threw her arms around him and said, "Finally! I love you, too!"

Julie's squeal was what brought Nathan and Elizabeth running.

Lucas kissed Julie once more quickly, and then turned toward Elizabeth and Nathan. He put his arm through Julie's and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

Julie sighed and nodded, smiling at him.

Lucas grinned and pulled himself up to his full height. Standing formally next to Julie, he said, "You are the first to know. We're officially courting."


	89. Chapter 89

Allie and Elizabeth stood with their heads tilted, looking at the tree as Nathan adjusted it from the bottom.

"It's leaning a _little..._ left," Elizabeth said.

Nathan moved it and Elizabeth said, "That's better!"

Narrowing his eyes at her, Nathan said, "Why does this all seem familiar?"

Allie and Jack started pulling ornaments out of the boxes and laying them on the harvest table.

Elizabeth walked up behind Nathan and put her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his back, as he tugged down gently on the branches. "Well, perhaps because this is now the second tree we've decorated together?" she said softly.

Nathan hugged her arms closer to him. He looked down and Elizabeth was holding out an ornament. The red bird she'd asked for his help with last year.

He turned around and faced her, and she held up the ornament between them. "I remember this little guy," Nathan said with his crooked smile. "So, here's a question," he said, resting his arms gently on her shoulders, "You knew when you reached up that you wouldn't be able to get this to the top of the tree, right?"

Elizabeth blushed suddenly and Nathan laughed softly. "Good, I can see I'm on the right track."

"It took you long enough to come help me," she said, raising her eyebrow. "I was standing there for the longest time struggling, with _no_ help on the horizon..."

Nathan curled his fingers through her hair. "You made a squeaky little noise that made me turn around."

"It was a cry for help," Elizabeth said, laughing.

Nathan narrowed his eyes. "But you could have just put it a little lower on the tree..."

"Okay!" Elizabeth laughed. She blushed furiously and handed him the ornament. "I was flirting! I wanted you to come up behind me and do exactly what you did."

Nathan pulled her into his arms and whispered, "I thought so. Now I can stop feeling guilty for the thoughts I was having."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Thoughts?" Her eyes were bright. "What kind of thoughts?"

Nathan laughed. "Non-Christmassy thoughts. Never you mind, angel."

"Horsey," Jack said, coming up between them. He was holding up a small wooden ornament shaped like a horse. He put it on the tree and it fell through. He frowned and looked up at Nathan.

"Oh, hey buddy, here, let me help," Nathan said, bending down to get the horse and put it on the tree. Jack pointed to it and said, "Horsey tree," and then ran back to Allie to get another ornament.

Nathan stood up, and Elizabeth was gazing out toward the pond. He put his arm around her and said, "What are you thinking about?"

"This is our first Christmas. As a family, in this house," she looked down and hugged her arms around her middle. "And these two on the way. I'm just so grateful."

Nathan nodded. "I am, too." They both took a moment to look outside. The sun had just a little farther to travel before sunset, and the light on the snow was beginning to turn it into the soft blue of twilight.

Elizabeth put her head on Nathan's shoulder and he stroked her hair gently. The room already had the aroma of Christmas, with the sharp tang of the blue spruce mixed with the warm heartiness of the beef stew that was simmering on the stove. To top it off, there was fresh bread baking in the oven.

Nathan sighed. "What time is Bill coming over?"

"Any minute," Elizabeth said. "He has something he wants to give Jack, and I'm going to try to convince him to stay for dinner."

"Good luck with that. The combination of his duties as Judge and running Abigail's makes him pretty hard to pin down these days," Nathan said. "But It smells so good in this house, you might just sway him."

Elizabeth hugged Nathan closer. "That was fun today," she said.

Nathan looked down at her and raised his eyebrow. "Which part?"

Smiling up at him, Elizabeth said, "All parts. The talking. The _kisses._ Allie and Jack. You and Archie." Then she sighed. "Julie and Lucas."

Nathan nodded. "That wasn't really a surprise, though. Lucas and Julie have been pretty much inseparable since our wedding."

"No, not a surprise, but do you remember how everyone thought we were courting before we actually were?" Elizabeth said.

Nathan turned to her and could see the beginnings of the setting sun on her cheeks and in her eyes. "I was courting you from the moment I saw you in my office."

Elizabeth tilted her head. "And over a year later, you finally kissed me?"

Nathan shrugged. "What can I say? I'm slow and thorough."

She laughed and said, "And we all know the tortoise won the race."

Nathan leaned down and kissed her softly. "And now I'll just have to make up for lost time."

Allie cleared her throat nearby, pretending to talk to Jack. They both had their hands full of ornaments. "Well, Jack, there doesn't seem to be much decorating going on over here," she said, grinning. "So I think it's up to us." She reached up and hung one of her cork animals, smiling at Nathan.

Making sure Allie could hear, Nathan looked at Elizabeth and said, "What are you teaching her in school? She seems to be getting more assertive the older she gets."

Elizabeth laughed. "Believe me, this has nothing to do with school. This is thirteen going on fourteen." Elizabeth bent down and untangled the ornaments in Jack's hands and helped him hang them up. She looked over at Allie, who was now by the harvest table. "I remember how you first described her to me. 'Ten going on seventeen.' That was right before her eleventh birthday."

Chuckling, Nathan said, "I was about to be way in over my head. You arrived just in time."

Elizabeth gazed at Allie softly. "I feel so lucky to have her in my life."

"We all are," Nathan said. He lifted Jack so he could put another ornament further up. Then Jack went running back to the table. "It was good to talk to Dad today," Nathan said. "I think I'd pushed a lot of those memories pretty far away, and it was nice to focus on all the good that happened in that house. With Mom and Dad and Sarah."

Elizabeth walked over to the table to get the ribbon to wrap around the tree. "I loved the story about the saddles. I can imagine how disappointed you both were until you went out to the barn and saw them."

"I was walking out there trying to be grateful for the socks, and it wasn't working," Nathan said, smiling.

Elizabeth tucked the ribbon inside the tree to secure it and started moving around. "And we'll have both your parents here for this Christmas. It's great that they get along so well," Elizabeth said, handing the ribbon to Nathan on the other side of the tree.

"We'll see how they do this time," Nathan said cryptically.

Frowning, Elizabeth peered around the tree at him. "Why, this time?" she asked.

Nathan checked to be sure Allie and Jack were out of earshot and he lowered his voice. "Because Mom is bringing divorce papers for him to sign."

Elizabeth's eyebrows went up. "Oh." Then she thought about why, and said softly, "How would you feel if your mother and Charlie got married?"

Nathan's face told her that he had clearly not made that leap. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times and Elizabeth laughed. "I take it that thought hasn't crossed your mind?"

Finally, he shrugged and smiled. "I guess it makes sense. I just hadn't thought about Mom getting married again." He narrowed his eyes at Elizabeth. "You think they might?"

Elizabeth smiled. "We've talked about it."

Nathan laughed and shook his head. "Everyone talks to you about everything," he said. "I wish I could use you to question prisoners." When he saw her excited look, he said quickly, "I'm kidding."

There was a knock on the door and Allie went running. Nathan smiled. "With that girl in the house we never have to answer a telephone call or open the door. Unbridled enthusiasm."

"Well, hello, Miss Allie," Bill said, walking in the door. He looked over at Nathan and Elizabeth. "Nice tree. And it smells better in here than it does in the restaurant."

Elizabeth gasped and ran to the kitchen.

Bill raised his eyebrows. "Was it something I said?"

Opening the oven, Elizabeth pulled out the bread pans. "Oh, thank goodness," she said. The bread was a perfect golden brown.

Bill leaned toward Nathan. "You missed the early days of Elizabeth's cooking. Some of her dinners were legendary."

"I heard that," Elizabeth said, smiling and kissing Bill on the cheek. He started to hug her and then stepped away, frowning. "Have we been upgraded to triplets?" Elizabeth made a face at him.

Nathan laughed and shook his hand. "Bite your tongue. I can only make so many cribs in the time we have left."

"Which is?" Bill asked, taking off his coat and hanging it on the rack.

"We're taking the train to Hamilton on the 27th of February. They're due the second week of March, but Carson says twins are often early, so we're playing it safe."

Bill nodded. "Take all the time you need. I'm ready for a little action after sitting behind that desk for so long. At least when I'm covering for you I can get on my horse and do rounds once in a while." He walked over to the harvest table. "How's my godson?" he said, leaning down to Jack and sitting at the table.

Pulling Jack up into his lap, Bill looked at the ornaments on the table. "There seem to be a lot of horses here, Jack. You starting your own regiment?"

Jack rewarded him by picking up a cloth horse and saying very firmly, "Horsey!" Then he started putting the ornaments in neat rows on the table in front of him.

From the kitchen, Elizabeth said, "Bill, I'm going to keep asking you to dinner until you say yes. We have plenty. Will you stay?"

Shaking his head, Bill said, "You know I'd love to, but I have to be back at Abigail's. Clara does a great job, but I hate to leave her alone at dinnertime."

"Tea, hot chocolate...?" Elizabeth said, raising her eyebrows.

Bill put up a hand and waved it, "No, nothing. Thank you."

Elizabeth pouted, and Bill smiled at her. "I promise I'll come to dinner between Christmas and New Year's. How's that? We're just so busy right now."

Nathan sat down opposite him. "That's a good thing, right? I know you were a little concerned about the bistro taking business away from Abigail's."

Bill chuckled. "Yep. I've had to eat some crow on that one. It turns out Hope Valley _is_ big enough for three restaurants. Who knew?"

Elizabeth smiled from the kitchen. "Julie knew."

Bill nodded. "That sister of yours is quite the businesswoman, Elizabeth. She's surprising everyone." He looked across at Nathan. "With the possible exception of Lucas."

Nathan tilted his head, not knowing how much he should say. Bill laughed. "Oh, it's all over town already. I guess Lucas went straight to Florence when they got back with the trees." He nodded. "Actually a very efficient way to get the news out."

Smiling, Nathan said, "And what are people saying?"

"The consensus is that it's a good match. But that's only a narrow poll of conversations I overheard in Abigail's."

Elizabeth laughed. "Which is probably a pretty good cross-section of the town. Well, that's good. Not that it would make any difference what people think. Julie and Lucas both love flying in the face of expectations."

"That they do," Bill said, looking down at the ornaments Jack had just arranged. "So, Jack my boy, do you want to see what I have for you?"

Jack turned around and looked up into Bill's eyes. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an ornament of his own. It was a picture of Jack sitting on Bear with Nathan in his red serge that had the background cut away and had been pasted on to a piece of wood that was the same shape. There was a string at the top that went through a small hole in Nathan's hat. All four of Bear's legs were separate, perfectly matching the picture.

Jack took it gently into his hands and peered closely at it. He looked across at Nathan and smiled. "Dad. Jack." And he held it up for Nathan to look at.

Nathan took it and smiled. "Bill," he said softly, looking up at his friend. "This is incredible. How did you do this?"

"Fiona took the picture, which I'm sure you remember. And I have a few tricks up my sleeve." He raised his eyebrows and smiled. "I'm a whittler from way back. I know my way around a piece of wood."

"I guess you do," Nathan said, smiling at him. Jack had his hands out, wanting it back. "Horsey," he said softly, looking at it again.

"It's so sweet, Bill," Elizabeth said.

Bill shrugged. "It's not his Christmas present, but I wanted him to have it early to put on the tree."

As if he understood completely, Jack crawled down from Bill's lap and took his hand. "Tree," he said, leading Bill. Jack set the ornament on a low branch and Bill looped the string around the branch above.

"Well," Bill said. "That looks just fine there." He picked him up and Jack put his arms around his neck. Bill held him for a moment, rubbing his back with his eyes closed. Then he took a deep breath and kissed his cheek before he put him back down on the floor.

"Walk me out, Nathan?" Bill said, kissing Elizabeth on the cheek. He squeezed Allie's shoulder and headed toward the door.

Nathan got his coat at the same time Bill put his on, and they walked out to the front porch. They stood for a moment watching as the very last sliver of the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky began to lose its color.

Nathan stayed silent, not knowing whether this was business or something else that Bill wanted to talk about. But if he knew anything about Bill, he knew he couldn't be rushed. Finally, Bill spoke, still looking out in the distance.

"Jack Thornton was one of my very best friends. I might say he was my best friend. I took it as a responsibility to watch over Elizabeth and little Jack from the moment I heard he'd died." Bill looked over at Nathan. "It may not have seemed like it at times, but I was always on your team, Nathan."

Nathan smiled, but knew Bill wasn't finished, so he didn't say anything.

Bill sighed. "Last Christmas, Elizabeth was very brave, but I was afraid she would never really feel joy again without Jack." He turned to Nathan. "I was wrong." He smiled and clapped Nathan on the back.

"I've never been more glad to be wrong, Nathan. And I don't feel like I have to watch over them anymore."

Nathan nodded and said softly, "But you probably always will." He smiled. "Which is a good thing, because sometimes Elizabeth needs a lot of watching."

Bill laughed. "She leaps, that's for sure. But she looks first. I told you once that she's stronger than you think."

Nodding, Nathan said, "I know that now too."

Bill looked him right in the eye. "I know you're worried about her with those babies. I can't imagine you wouldn't be. I just want you to know, if you ever need to talk about it, I'm here to listen."

Nathan took a deep breath. "Thank you, Bill. I'm probably going to take you up on that."

"Good," Bill said. He put out his hand.

Nathan took it, and then just pulled Bill into a hug. Then he shook his hand and Bill turned.

"Bill," Nathan said, "I know how close you and Jack were. I hope you know how much this means to me. It means the world that you..."

Bill walked down the first step from the porch. "Yeah, I know." He turned and grinned. "Don't go soft on me, Mountie."

Nathan stood on the porch for a long time watching him walk away. Then he turned and looked for a moment at the warm scene inside and the house full of people he loved before he opened the door to go in.


	90. Chapter 90

There were times these days when Nathan and Elizabeth stayed up later than they should, just so they could sit in the sunroom swing and talk about their day. But it could only happen when all humans and animals were fed, kitchen cleaned, wood chopped, everyone asleep, and the house buttoned up.

Then they would meet each other there. If Elizabeth got there first while Nathan was reading Jack his final story, or if Nathan was first to sit in the swing while Elizabeth prepared the dough for the next day's bread, they could pull a book from their library and read in front of the stove until the other arrived.

This time was precious to them; their moments to be alone together. It was where they would sit and process what had happened during the day and plan what tomorrow would bring.

Tonight was special because they both felt the true anticipation of the holidays. They had a beautifully decorated tree in the living room, which was impossible to forget because its aroma filled the house. They could see in the distance that Rosemary had decked her windows with pine boughs and lights that sparkled invitingly against the snow.

Tonight, Elizabeth had brought her notepad because they needed to begin making arrangements for their Christmas guests.

"Stella and Jessie are coming in on the train day after tomorrow. Archie will meet them, and Allie wanted to go too, which I think is very sweet," Elizabeth said.

Nathan nodded. "That train comes from Edmonton, and it goes through Airdrie. What if I talk to Mom and Charlie and maybe they can come in on the same train? They could spend some time getting to know each other." Nathan asked.

"That would be wonderful," Elizabeth said. "Have you talked to your mom about Stella and Jessie?"

"Just quickly in a letter, but I'll tell her about Dad and Donnie so there aren't any surprises." Nathan held her closer. "One of the great things about Mom being with Charlie is that she really does seem to have moved on from the hurt Dad caused her."

Elizabeth smiled up at him, though she remained silent.

Nathan laughed softly and kissed her forehead. "Yeah, she's not the only one."

Elizabeth leaned into him. "I loved listening to you and Archie talk today. Seeing how far you've both come since those first difficult days when Archie came here. All it took was a little movement from him, then from you..."

Nathan looked at her, "And a nudge from you." He brushed her hair back from her face. "I was being so stubborn, and all you asked was for me to believe in the possibility that he might be innocent. That changed everything."

Elizabeth looked up at him. She thought of her own parents, and her cheeks suddenly burned. _How stubborn have I been,_ she thought. _How often have I turned my back on their point of view, so sure that mine was right?_

Nathan frowned. "What is it? What are you thinking about?" he asked her, using his thumb to gently smooth the lines from her forehead.

"I was thinking about my parents."

Nathan stayed quiet while Elizabeth looked out at the snow and worked on clarifying her feelings.

"I'm realizing that I was so anxious to leave life in Hamilton that I've somehow had to make it _wrong;_ something I could push away from." She finally looked at him. "Hamilton doesn't have to be bad in my eyes so Hope Valley can be good. Just because it's not my life anymore doesn't mean it's a shallow life. And that's how I've thought of it."

She looked back at the snow. "I haven't worked at letting them in," she finally said, softly. "Into this blessed life you and I live together."

Suddenly she turned to him. "Going to Hamilton is an opportunity. We need to take Jack with us. They've never seen him, Nathan. And that's my fault. How can I deprive our son of another pair of grandparents?"

Nathan looked tenderly at her. "We'll take Jack if that's what you want, but you can't shoulder all the blame for this, angel. We invited your parents to our wedding, it was their choice not to come. If they decided to come to Hope Valley, you would welcome them with love and open arms, as you do with everyone. This works both ways."

"I know," Elizabeth said, nodding, "But someone has to take the first step. And I have to stop judging them, somehow assuming that their lifestyle is less meaningful to them than mine is to me."

"You're being pretty hard on yourself," Nathan said softly. He kissed her forehead and pulled her close. "But I appreciate what you're saying, and I'll make a real effort too. It's going to be a lot for them to take in. Not just us, but Lucas and Julie." He looked down at Elizabeth and smiled. "I'm not sure a Mountie and a saloon owner would be their ideal choices for sons-in-law."

Elizabeth smiled and then shook her head. "Definitely not. More likely, businessmen and oil barons. Or, what Viola did, choosing a member of the peerage like Sir Lionel." She turned and leaned back against him again. "But now that I'm a mother, I know that what I want for Jack is for him to be happy, to feel fulfilled in the life he chooses." She looked at Nathan. "On some level, our parents must feel that way about Julie and me."

"I'm sure they do," Nathan said. "And about me being a Mountie? I don't want you to worry about that. I have pretty thick skin about my job. Whether they think of it as an honorable profession or not."

Elizabeth smiled. "It's funny, isn't it? People's perceptions? Mother and Father basically think of Mounties as civil servants, along the lines of street cleaners or..." She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow, "Schoolteachers."

Nathan hugged her tightly, "Another very noble profession."

Elizabeth continued. "And then there are so many who look up to you and wish they could wear the red serge, people who experience a wave of patriotism whenever a regiment passes by, and feel safe when a Mountie rides through their town protecting it."

Nathan was silent for a moment. "Do you think they worry for you? You said you went to Hamilton for a few weeks right after Jack died. They saw your grief, Elizabeth. How can they not at least consider that you might have to go through that again?"

Elizabeth pulled away and looked directly into his eyes. As she expected, they were very blue in the lamplight. This was an important conversation, and one that they didn't have very often, because there were no real answers to the questions it posed.

"I know they worry for me," she said softly. Her mind was so in tune with Nathan's, that she wasn't surprised to know that they'd both gone back in time to the same day, the very same memory.

Those days were moving further and further away, but Nathan could still call the feelings up at any time. The confusion, how much he loved her, how afraid he was to acknowledge it to himself, much less say it out loud, and at the same time desperately wanting to tell her what she meant to him.

And then, suddenly, at his lowest ebb, there she was, in his arms.

It wasn't at all the way he'd imagined it. He'd thought it would perhaps be out by the pond, or at her front door. Maybe in the schoolhouse as she was closing up. No, this was right in the middle of the street, with everyone watching.

He'd lost a young Mountie, and there was nothing worse than that. He'd tried so hard to defuse the situation and was so close to accomplishing it, but Murdock had impulsively reached for the extra rifle they kept behind the buckboards, and he'd paid the ultimate price for it.

Bill would tell Nathan later that it wasn't his fault. He would talk about his bravery and his negotiating skills. He would say that these things happen and it was a rookie mistake on Murdock's part. On some level, Nathan knew that was all true, but it was still on his watch, and losing a brother on your watch was inconceivable.

So as he'd led Bear into town, Nathan wasn't thinking about Elizabeth or anything else. He was empty, his eyes vacant, and though he was craving some sense of comfort, he couldn't comprehend what that might look like. He was thinking about the young man in the red serge in the wagon, and hearing Carson say, "He's gone."

But then he'd seen Elizabeth standing near the wagon, and he knew that she'd heard the same thing. There were people blocking her view of the inside, and because Nathan was so connected to her, he felt what she was feeling absolutely.

Elizabeth thought it might be _him_ in that wagon.

So through his numbness, he made his way to the only place he wanted to be. He needed to ease her pain, and maybe that would ease his own somehow. He meant to walk up and put his hand on her shoulder to let her know he was here. Not okay by any means, but at least not in that wagon. He was alive.

Before he could do that, she turned. _Life can be so terrible and so wonderful in the same moment_, he thought. Because he saw it immediately in her eyes. It wasn't just her fear for the loss of another Mountie, it was her fear of losing _him._ And he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he mattered to her, too.

There was no time to process it, because she started to run and she didn't stop until she was in his arms, wonderfully surprising, perfectly fitting against his chest, knocking him slightly backwards with a show of such raw gratitude that was as tangible as a shock wave through his heart. They had danced around each other so often and so carefully, and now, here they were, both of them, stripped of any pretense, decorum, or even an awareness of the dozens of people standing around watching.

And it was _everyone_ watching. They'd all come running when Bill had rounded the corner. And now that there was nothing more to be done for Murdock, the crowd had turned their focus to the other man in the red serge, the one standing in the middle of the street. And also the schoolteacher who was now clinging to him as if for dear life.

Perhaps to Lucas, who was also watching, it might have looked like Elizabeth was simply glad that her friend Nathan was alive. But as she kept her arms around him tightly, and as the tears began to form in both of their eyes, it became harder to ignore the real feelings on display. They weren't letting go. They stood melded together as one long moment ran into another, Elizabeth's face pressing against his red serge and Nathan's chin resting lightly on the softness of her hair.

In fact, it was so long, that some people lost interest and moved on, or crowded around the wagon, or began to talk in small groups. Lucas, however, stood stock still after buttoning his coat, wanting to turn away but unable to. Wondering how long it would go on, and seeing his hopes fading further with every second.

Nathan and Elizabeth weren't seeing Lucas, or anyone for that matter. They simply knew that this was the only place they could find comfort. In each other's arms. And there was no where they would rather be.

"That day," Nathan said softly now in the sunroom swing, gazing at Elizabeth. "When we lost Murdock?" He knew from her eyes that she was remembering the same thing.

Elizabeth would never forget that day. After wavering back and forth, unsure if she was ready to open her heart completely again, it had been pried suddenly open without her consent. She'd heard Carson say, "He's gone," and although it would be natural to think that she was experiencing déjà vu, she knew this had nothing to do with Jack.

Nathan wasn't Jack; they couldn't be more different. Saying they were the same simply because they wore the same uniform was like saying she was the same as Rosemary when she wore her dress to Union City. In this moment, hearing Carson's voice, she suddenly felt the fathomless loss of Nathan, and with him all the possibilities she wanted so dearly to explore, the conversations, the confusing feelings she needed to sort out. She wanted to touch him, to know what it would feel like to hold him, to kiss him. All that, lost in a split second.

All she could see of him in the wagon were his shoes and the slightest hint of his red serge. Her imagination painfully provided the rest, lying there. But it was just his body, wasn't it? The person she knew was gone. _Did it hurt him? Did he think of me? Where is he now? How do I go on without him?_

Why hadn't she just said yes? Because she thought she had time. And when he'd asked, she'd been shocked into speechlessness. She'd heard him stutter so many times that when he finally formed a full sentence, when it became _real_, as Rosemary had said, Elizabeth was afraid. Playacting at romantic dinners with Lucas was one thing, but with Nathan, it would have been the beginning of her future. Hers and little Jack's and Allie's and Nathan's. _Real._

She could still hear his voice. "Would you like to get dinner with me? When I get back?" _When you get back..._

She didn't know why she turned away from the wagon. She could say it was because she heard footsteps on the gravel, but it was more than that. Some part of her knew that if her heart was still intact, and it was, Nathan couldn't be gone.

And there he was. Looking broken, walking toward her with a face so open, so lost, that there was nothing else she could do.

She chose.

And even if she'd known then what would come after, the mistakes and apologies, the push and pull, the time that stretched out before they finally spoke the words and made this commitment to each other, this marriage, this house, this life – she would gladly choose again in exactly the same way. No matter how long it took, this was the life they were meant to live. Together.

The sunroom swing was circling slowly. Without knowing it, they had turned into the same heartfelt embrace they'd shared that day. Fitting perfectly in blessed gratitude.

Elizabeth leaned up and kissed Nathan gently. "I chose you, Nathan. And given the chance again, I would choose you. Again and again and again. Forever."


	91. Chapter 91

"It sounds to me like Nathan was being modest in the telling of that story," Stella said.

Rebecca smiled. "That's my son. He tends to take more responsibility than he should for the bad, and pass on the rewards for the good." She leaned over and whispered, "Elizabeth and I are working on that."

Stella nodded. "Well, from my side, I can tell you that if Nathan hadn't put two and two together, I don't know how we would have found Jessie."

Stella looked over at her daughter. Jessie's hair was growing out nicely, and Stella thought she had the look of the young girls with short bobs she'd seen in the New York fashion magazines. _Always ahead of the crowd,_ Stella thought, smiling. She still said a silent prayer of thanks every time she had this wave of love come over her for her daughter. She felt she'd been so close to losing her, and instead it had turned into something that had brought them closer together.

No one would ever know how much Nathan had done for them. Not only finding Jessie, but then making sure arrangements were made for Sunset's stabling and medical care. Stella thought of it as something that he would do until she was able to pay for the costs herself, but she had a feeling that Nathan never intended for her to pay him back.

"I love horses," he'd said simply. "Don't think of this as something I'm doing for you. Think of it as something I'm doing for Sunset. And of course I've told Elizabeth, so if we could just keep this between the three of us, I'd appreciate it." He'd smiled then, and said, "I'm still somewhat in an official capacity here, and it's frowned upon to get too involved."

That was somewhat true, but Nathan's real reason was that he didn't like to have a fuss made over him. Gifts, especially when they involved money, always seemed to cause a fuss. He was grateful for the abundance in his life, with the Airdrie Ranch doing very well, and he and Elizabeth drawing relatively good salaries from their jobs. Elizabeth's trust fund from her family, a not insignificant amount of money, was set aside for the children's education and to help them with their own houses when they were ready.

So Nathan felt he could do something kind for two people he liked and who needed the help.

During the days Nathan had been with them in Spruce Grove, Stella had to admit that there was something about him that was very appealing. Not just in the tall, dark and handsome realm, which was obvious; but his goodness, his integrity, his sense of what was right. Stella had been looking for someone like him for quite some time, and she was starting to lose hope that a man like him even existed.

But if there was one thing Stella knew without a doubt, it was that Nathan Grant was absolutely taken. He was a man who was clearly entirely smitten with his wife. He'd talked often of Elizabeth and Allie and Jack and his family life. Not in a way that felt at all conscious, but in a very organic and natural way. He would talk about how they would feel about things, what they would do, how smart they were, how funny. About their house and Hope Valley and the townspeople. Stella knew that no one's life was perfect, but it seemed Nathan felt his came as close to that mark as a man could get.

Stella loved hearing about all of them, and so did Jessie. Just the idea that there was a town and a family like this gave them a measure of hope, and they couldn't wait to see it. The fact that Allie would be at the train station with the rest of the family to pick them up had delighted Jessie completely, and Stella had to admit that she couldn't wait to meet Elizabeth.

Rebecca had only reinforced that desire in the time they'd been talking on the train to Hope Valley. For a mother-in-law to wax poetic about her son's wife, Elizabeth must be an extraordinary person.

Talking about Archie was slightly different. Stella could tell that Rebecca was on her best behavior, but she was a plain-spoken woman and it wasn't always easy for her to temper her words. Fortunately, Stella was the same way.

"Archie was a charmer, that's for sure," Rebecca said. "I was lucky in that he wasn't charming with other women. It was always _myself_ I was worried about," Rebecca said, laughing. "When Archie had a full head of dark hair and that twinkle in his eye in his thirties, he was a shorter version of Nathan. That man could talk me out of almost anything, and that's not easy to do."

Stella laughed. "My father was the same." She sighed. "At least Archie did his time and got out. I don't think my father ever will. Every time he's come out of prison, he's put himself right back in. He's joked about the three free meals a day and the roof over his head, but I think there's more truth to that than I knew."

Rebecca nodded. "I suppose it becomes a way of life for some folks, and it's hard to be on the outside again." She looked out the window. "I must say that I'm glad Archie managed to get free of it. And he does seem to be."

Stella looked over at Rebecca until she turned from the window and looked at her. "Archie's a good man, Rebecca. He's been very good to us. He knows he's done a lot of wrong, but he's decided he's going to spend the rest of his days making up for it."

Rebecca reached over and took Stella's hand warmly. "I will take that as a ringing endorsement, Stella. If Nathan and Elizabeth are having him live there at their house, and if you and Jessie value him so highly, I suppose I can manage to forgive the old rascal."

Rebecca looked across at Charlie. He'd spent the entire trip either walking the aisles restlessly, or with his nose in the Farmer's Almanac. Jessie sat next to him, totally engrossed in a book about Queen Victoria. In fact, Rebecca was envying both Charlie and Jessie for their ability to shut out the world and read.

Rebecca always seemed to have a window open in her brain somewhere, and conversations would drift in without her even wanting to hear them. When she read, she needed to be alone, without distractions.

Smiling, Rebecca nudged Stella lightly and inclined her head toward Jessie and Charlie. She leaned over and whispered, "I think this train might fall into the Pacific Ocean before those two came up for air." Stella laughed and nodded.

Rebecca leaned back in her chair and looked out of the window again. She thought about the divorce papers tucked safely away in her bag and had a momentary flutter. Charlie had asked her so many times to marry him, and she'd always had the fact that she was still married to Archie as an excuse. She planned to get the papers signed and then put them under the tree wrapped and tied with a bow for Charlie.

She knew it was a house of cards. Once those papers were signed, everything would come tumbling down. No more excuses, and she supposed there would be a wedding, and then Charlie would move from his quarters out in the far barn into the main house, bringing all his belongings with him. How that was going to feel was anyone's guess. Rebecca worried she may have grown slightly stubborn and unbending in her old age.

But the plain fact was, she loved Charlie. She loved almost everything about him. And Charlie had stuck with her longer than any other man in her life. He was as steady as a church and just as faithful, and she knew she could never do better. So why not get married? Truth was, she'd run out of reasons.

Outside the windows, the outskirts of Hope Valley were coming into view. All those years hating the train, and now she felt blessed to have this noisy, dirty hunk of metal because it brought her closer to Nathan's family and the town she had quickly grown to love.

"It's not far," Stella said to Jessie. Jessie was curling a short strand of hair repeatedly around her finger while she read, obviously immersed in the love story of Victoria and Albert. Stella tapped Jessie's knee lightly and she looked up at her mother.

"We need to start gathering our things, honey. We'll be in the station in just a few minutes," Stella said.

Rebecca looked out the window at the farms passing by. "None too soon for these old bones. I can't even imagine how you feel, coming all the way from Edmonton." She patted Stella's hand. "But I can tell you, once you step through their door, you'll have a good hot meal, a comfortable bed, and probably a hug you don't expect. Or ten."

Stella smiled across at Jessie, who had put her book away and now had a look of anticipation on her face.

All Stella knew was, if the rest of the family was anything like Archie, Rebecca, and Nathan, this was going to be a very pleasant holiday.

In the end, the whole Grant family came to the train station to meet them. They brought the wagon for the bags and for anyone who didn't want to walk, but Elizabeth hoped they could all wander through the town on the way home. Late afternoon in Hope Valley was pleasant in the winter when everyone was bundled up, especially as the roads had been plowed and the sky was clear. They would get to the farm just in time to enjoy the sunset beyond the pond.

Nathan had spent the afternoon in his office and he'd done rounds on Bear, so as Archie drove the wagon behind Sergeant, they joined up and Nathan took Jack to ride with him. It simply wasn't possible for Nathan to ride beside the wagon with Jack in it. Jack knew where he belonged and it was on Bear with his dad. Especially when he was wearing the red serge as he was this afternoon.

Elizabeth had to admit that she was beginning to feel her pregnancy. Where she used to walk briskly without a second thought, most days now she felt like she was carrying a good-sized watermelon around with her. Her life was very active and she was determined to keep that up, but she moved a little slower and didn't go quite as far.

Carson had been researching everything he could find on twins. He'd told Elizabeth and Nathan that she would get bigger much faster than she had with Jack. At five months, she was already where she had been just a couple of weeks before Jack was born. Rosemary had her hands full adjusting the hems of her dresses to accommodate the rapid changes.

So Elizabeth decided to ride in the wagon to the station and then walk home. She was so anxious to talk to Rebecca, another woman who had given birth to twins and seemed to have nothing but good stories to tell about it. She'd been imagining a nice walk through town and out to the house with her arm through Rebecca's.

The train from Edmonton by way of Airdrie was on arrival when they all joined on the platform. Nathan had left his hat on Bear and Jack was now on his shoulders. Jack absolutely adored watching the train pull in. The noise, the steam, the whistle, its shiny metal and massive size was a two-year-old's dream.

Nathan had been spending as much time as possible in the woodshop with Archie, not only making a second crib to match Jack's old one, but also a wooden train set for Jack's birthday on Christmas eve. He and Archie had painstakingly designed tracks that could be put together in many configurations like puzzle pieces, and six detailed and sturdy cars that hooked together. Elizabeth had often heard Nathan and his father talking and laughing together out there, and it warmed her heart that they enjoyed each other's company so thoroughly.

Allie and Elizabeth had done the painting of the wooden train cars when they were finished, so it was truly a family gift to Jack. They'd painted _Hope Valley Express_ on the passenger cars, and there was a log carrier that had _Coulter Sawmill_ written on it. Nathan and Archie had carved small horses to go into one of the boxcars. The train set was wrapped and under the tree, along with more presents than Elizabeth could remember, at least since her Hamilton days.

Jessie would stay in Allie's room on the rollaway bed. Elizabeth smiled, remembering how she had first ordered that bed for the times Allie would spend the night if Nathan had to go out of town. That little workhorse had been used steadily since the day it had arrived.

Archie had his bedroom, of course, and Stella would stay in the room across from his. Charlie couldn't be swayed from his spot at the livery, but everyone knew he loved talking to Kevin about metalwork and horseshoeing, so it was no hardship. Rebecca said she could stay at the saloon again, but the truth was, she really didn't want to be away from the family, so she decided to stay in Jack's room with him in the bed Nathan had built.

A full house. Christmas. Family. Food. _Love._ Elizabeth couldn't be happier.

As they waited at the station, Jack wanted to walk, so Nathan put him down and Allie took his hand to go a little closer.

Elizabeth stood beside Nathan with her arm through his. "Do you remember when we were looking for the tree last year? You asked me about our family traditions and I told you that on Christmas day we had all my aunts and uncles and cousins over for a late supper, and I told you that some years we had twenty people at the house?" Nathan laughed softly, because he knew what was coming. Elizabeth smiled. "Do you remember what you said to me?"

He did a perfect imitation of himself. _"Twenty_ people? That's a _lot!"_ He raised an eyebrow. "So how many will we have on Christmas day?"

"More than that, I'm glad to say," Elizabeth replied, squeezing his arm.

Nathan put his arm around her and ran his lips across the softness of her hair. "I didn't know then what this would be like. Family, friends, our house." He bent down to kiss her quickly and raised his eyebrow the way he did right before he told one of his jokes. "In fact..." he said slowly, "...I think we should invite _more people."_

Elizabeth smiled sweetly. "Really?" she said in surprise. And just like that, she turned to a family of strangers passing by and said, "Excuse me..." Nathan laughed and whispered, "I'm kidding!"

Elizabeth continued her question to the family, "...can you tell me if this is the Edmonton train?"

"Yes," the man said, tipping his hat. "Should be in any minute."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said, smiling, and then she looked up at Nathan.

He laughed softly and smirked at her, "You're a troublemaker."

She tilted her head. "But you love me."

Holding her tightly, he sighed and said, "That I do, Mrs. Grant."

His last words were nearly drowned out by the sound of the train as it pulled in with a deafening roar. Inside, Stella and Jessie had the windows down and were searching the small crowd for Archie and Nathan, the faces they knew.

They found them and Jessie's eye went straight to Allie holding Jack's hand, while Stella found Elizabeth standing next to Nathan.

"There they are!" Rebecca said, and Charlie finally closed his Almanac and stood.

Within minutes of stepping off the train, Stella and Jessie had been hugged multiple times, Jack had proudly shown them his Mountie and his horses while chattering away in a language they couldn't fully understand, and their bags had been whisked away to the wagon.

As they started walking, conversations blossomed, but the loudest by far was between Jessie and Allie. "I did a _report_ on Queen Victoria!" Allie said when she saw the book Jessie was holding.

Jessie sighed, "And Albert, they were _so_ much in love."

"Did you know she became queen when she was only eighteen years old?" Allie said, handing Jack up to Nathan on Bear.

By now, Jessie was talking horses, "Can we go out to your barn as soon as we get there? I want to meet Sarah. My horse's name is Sunset."

"Really?" Allie said, "My dad's horse where he grew up is Sunset!"

As she watched Allie and Jessie take the lead with Nathan, chattering all the way, Elizabeth smiled. She not only had Rebecca on her arm, she had Stella on the other. They walked for a short while watching the girls.

Elizabeth smiled at Stella and said, "I wonder if they'll find anything to talk about..."

Stella laughed. "Doubtful," she said.


	92. Chapter 92

As they walked out of town toward the house, Stella looked down and then back up to Elizabeth, smiling, "I'm assuming Nathan didn't know your news while he was in Spruce Grove?"

Elizabeth frowned slightly. "No, I told him we were expecting right when he got back. Why?"

Stella shook her head, laughing. "Because we wouldn't have heard the end of it," she said, raising her eyebrows.

Elizabeth smiled at her. "Nathan talked about us?" she said.

Stella nodded. "Pretty much any time it made sense to bring up you and his family, _and_ the town..." Stella said, smiling. "And a few times when it didn't make any sense at all." Stella suddenly turned to Elizabeth and frowned. "Do you have a rooster named Chester?"

Laughing, Elizabeth said, "Yes."

Nodding, Stella said, "Okay, then that makes a little bit of sense now." At Elizabeth's raised eyebrows, Stella said quickly, shaking her head, "Oh, no, it's a long story and it's not even funny. I think Nathan was making a joke, but with his jokes he really needs to let people know when it's time for them to laugh."

At that moment, both Elizabeth and Rebecca snorted, and Stella thought she might not be alone in that assessment. "Well, that's a relief. I thought it was just me. Jessie thinks he's hilarious."

They were approaching the house now and Elizabeth stopped. Since their arms were linked, Rebecca and Stella had to stop as well.

"I like to look at the sunset from here," Elizabeth said, gazing at the house. "Usually we're watching it from inside."

Rebecca cautiously pointed out the obvious. "But, Elizabeth, the sun is over there." She pointed behind her and to her left where the sun was visibly moving toward the horizon.

Elizabeth didn't move, but continued to look at the house. "No, I like to see it set on the house," she said softly, as if she was making perfect sense. Then she looked left and right and could see they needed clarification.

Looking forward again, Elizabeth said, "You can see it on the snow in the trees behind the house, right? The colors?"

Stella squinted and then said, "Yes, it's like the snow is just faintly orange and pink." She smiled at Elizabeth and then looked at the house. After a moment, she said, "Oh. I see what you mean." She smiled and hugged her arm. Then Stella shook her head and looked at Rebecca as if to say, _Okay, I get it. She's pretty special._

They stood there for a while, all three gazing at the house as it delicately changed colors. After Nathan had unsaddled Bear and had come around the side, he watched them for a moment. Narrowing his eyes, he moved closer in the twilight. Then he got worried and walked faster.

"Everything okay?" he said, looking at Elizabeth.

Rebecca said, "We're watching the sunset."

Nathan frowned and said, "But the sunset is over th..." He was pointing behind them. Then it dawned on him and he grinned.

"She's got you doing it too, huh?" he said, looking at the three of them. Then he saw that the sun had dipped below the horizon and it was getting colder. He put his arm around Elizabeth and said, "Mrs. Grant, we have company inside. We can't be out here watching the house set, or the sun set on the house, or whatever you call it." He kissed her on the cheek. "We need to _entertain."_

Elizabeth laughed. "And this from the man who likes to keep it simple at Christmas?" she said.

"Did I say that?" He walked with her up to the house, grinning. "I don't remember saying that."

"I need to start writing things down," Elizabeth said as they reached the porch steps.

Stella and Rebecca hadn't moved. Stella was smiling. "Wow. I don't think I've ever seen two people so much in love. They're like a walking romance novel."

Rebecca laughed. "I still haven't gotten used to it. It can be a challenge to get their attention sometimes."

Sighing, Stella said, "That's what I'm looking for. I've always thought it was too much to ask, but now that I've seen it, I'm gonna start asking."

Laughing, Rebecca took her arm and walked with her. "Good for you, Stella. If you never ask, the answer's always no."

Inside the house, Allie and Jessie were starting to set the table for the dinner Elizabeth and Allie had prepared before going to the train station. They'd made shepherd's pie, roasted winter vegetables, and Elizabeth had made brownies for dessert. All very easy, and it had kept warm until the train arrived and the guests were settled.

And tonight, Elizabeth learned that she must be more visibly pregnant than she thought she was, because no one would let her lift a finger to do anything. So, with a houseful of guests, she was kicked out of her own kitchen. She sat happily in front of the hearth with Jack, building tiny paddocks while answering rapid-fire questions about serving dishes and beverages from the multitudes swarming around the stove and the table.

_I could get used to this,_ Elizabeth thought.

"Don't get used to this," Nathan said softly, coming up behind her and kissing her neck.

Elizabeth laughed. "You're reading my mind again," she said. She looked up at him. "They won't let you do anything either?" she asked.

Nathan smiled at her and sat down. "No, I've been dispatched to see if there's anything _you_ need." He narrowed his eyes. "So, how is it that the groom gets less attention than the bride at the wedding, and now here we are again? I had something to do with this too, you know," he said, tilting his head at her.

"Yes, but I'm doing the heavy lifting," she said, grinning. She squeezed his arm and ran her hand lightly across his red serge. "Nathan, you've worked most of the day and you haven't even had a chance to change yet," she said. "Go and take a minute for yourself. Relax."

He looked at her and shook his head. "I love you, angel. Do you know that you always think of others first?"

She smiled at him. "Not _all_ others. Just you. But that's sweet of you to say."

"So _do_ you need anything? Because I'd love to get washed up and changed before dinner, if I could."

"No, nothing," she said, smiling. "I have everything I need." She leaned up and kissed him.

Just then, Jack tried to crawl up Nathan's leg, and though Nathan was anxious to go, he couldn't resist. "Up you go," he said to Jack, putting him on his knee. It was probably because Jack heard women's voices during most of his day, but he loved listening to Nathan's voice no matter what he was saying. He would look seriously up into his eyes, and Nathan knew he wanted a story, or just to hear him talk.

"You..." Nathan said softly to Jack, "...are going to be a big brother soon." Jack listened intently, looking at Nathan, but with his chubby fingers absentmindedly touching the brass buttons on his tunic. "For a while, it's gonna be pretty noisy and confusing around here, but trust me, they'll get a little older and you're gonna _love_ it. Always someone to play with, two little ones to watch over..."

Then Jack did something he did often. He put his hand on Nathan's cheek and just held it there. Nathan would turn quickly and kiss his hand, and Jack would giggle. That game could go on for a _long_ time.

Elizabeth laughed right along with them, and then she said, "Jack, you need to let your dad get out of his Mountie clothes."

"Mountie close," Jack said, holding the buttons again. It didn't look like Jack was buying it; he seemed pretty comfortable on Nathan's lap.

Rebecca came to the rescue. "Jack. Where's the Christmas tree?" she said, looking around.

Jack immediately pointed over to the spot in front of the windows. "Tree!" he said.

"Can you show me?" Rebecca said, putting out her hands.

Jack happily jumped down and took her hand, leading her over to the tree. Not even a backward glance. Elizabeth and Nathan smiled their thanks to Rebecca.

Elizabeth nodded. "Grandparents. Aren't they just the best? They know exactly what to do." She looked at Nathan. "I love your mother."

"It's mutual," Nathan said, seeing his chance to head down the hallway to change his clothes. He stood up after quickly kissing the top of her head. "I'll make my escape."

Elizabeth nodded. "Nathan. Take your time." She pointed to the kitchen and dining room, where everyone had congregated and were now talking animatedly and loudly. "Dinner will keep and no one will even notice."

Nathan smiled at her, his eyes twinkling. Elizabeth laughed and pushed him down the hall. "They would notice if _both_ of us were gone," she said, "Go!"

Elizabeth stood up and walked over to the countertop between the kitchen and the dining room. She went up to Allie and whispered, "Your dad would like a minute to get changed. Would you mind if we put out some of your cheese with the bread we baked today? You can tell everyone how you make it."

Allie's eyes lit up. "Really? I'd love to!" She grabbed Jessie's hand and led her out to the box in the mudroom where she kept the butter and cheese she made for Le Bistro. "Where are we going?" Jessie said, laughing, just as the door closed.

Stella stood next to Elizabeth. "Those two," Stella said, smiling. "You'd think they'd known each other all their lives."

"Nathan thought they would get along," Elizabeth said, nodding. Just as fast as they'd gone, Jessie and Allie were back. Elizabeth talked them through getting the plates down and making squares of bread for people to taste the cheese. She walked over to the pantry and pulled out some of the fig jam she'd made last August and put that out with a knife.

They set it all out on the counter, and Allie started walking samples around. It didn't take long before she had an audience as she described how she transformed Lizzie's milk into the delicious soft cheese.

After Stella got a bite and complimented Allie, she took Elizabeth's arm and led her over to the front windows. "I've really been looking forward to finally meeting you," Stella said.

"I have too," Elizabeth said, and she genuinely meant it. She had to admit that Stella was as pretty a young woman as everyone had said, but she seemed completely unaware of it and totally guileless. "I'm so glad you came to visit. I know it means a lot to Archie."

Stella smiled. "I suppose on the surface this doesn't happen very often. Spending Christmas with the Mountie who arrested my father? But I see Dad very clearly. I know who he is and what he's done. Nathan was in the right, and it's his job, pure and simple."

Elizabeth squeezed her shoulder lightly. "I told Archie that maybe someday we can have you _all_ here. With your father. We'll say a prayer for that."

They looked out the window for a moment, enjoying the fragrance of the Christmas tree nearby. Jack was still showing Rebecca all his horse ornaments, which were low on the tree for that very reason. Right now, Jack had the ornament that Bill had given him, of Nathan on Bear with Jack in front of him. Rebecca smiled up at her, and Elizabeth said, "Bill Avery made that for Jack."

"Dad. Horsey. Jack," Jack said, pointing his finger to illustrate the three figures on the ornament.

Rebecca simply smiled up at Elizabeth and put her hand on her heart as Elizabeth nodded.

"Rebecca told me all about your wedding as we rode down on the train together. She brought her photo book to show me." Stella sighed a little. "It was such a beautiful wedding." She walked Elizabeth over to the wall with the photo with the elder blossoms blowing in the wind. "_This_ is...incredible."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "Yes, a moment caught in time." Stella watched as Elizabeth's eyes went soft, and she knew that there were memories of more than that one moment passing through her mind.

"Did you know right away?" Stella asked softly. "About Nathan?"

Elizabeth laughed and turned to her. "Nothing about us was easy. I was confused, Nathan was tongue-tied, neither of us thought we were ready..." She shrugged. "But we loved each other, right from the start, even if we didn't know it then. I don't think either of us really had a chance, to tell you the truth. No matter how much we pushed each other away, we were going to be together sooner or later."

Stella smiled. "It's a beautiful thing to see, Elizabeth. The two of you. Gives me hope." She raised an eyebrow. "Nathan doesn't have a brother, does he?"

Elizabeth laughed and took Stella's arm to sit on the sofa in the living room. "No brother. But we do have some eligible bachelors here in Hope Valley." She looked sideways at Stella's pretty face and her light brown curls. Coupled with her obvious intelligence and sense of humor, Elizabeth could see Stella having her pick. "You'd be very popular."

Smiling, Stella said, "Archie has said the same thing."

Elizabeth patted her hand gently. "You'll be here several days. You think about it. There are so many opportunities here. We're growing quickly, and until you found out what you wanted to do, we have three restaurants that are always in need of help."

They sat down on the sofa and Elizabeth said, her eyes twinkling, "And I would be Jessie's teacher."

Stella looked at Elizabeth's very round belly and laughed softly. "For how long?"

"Until February, unless our doctor tells me I need to stop sooner. You know they're twins?"

"Yes, Rebecca told me. And Archie told us long ago that Nathan and his sister were twins." Her face darkened a little. "But Archie's never told us what happened to his daughter. It seemed to cause him so much pain that we never asked."

Elizabeth nodded. "It was a very difficult time for all of them. I'll ask Nathan if he minds me telling you how she died, and we can talk while you're here. They don't seem to mind people knowing. They just find it very hard to talk about."

"And what happened to Allie's father?" Stella asked.

Elizabeth smiled. "I'll give you the same answer. I'll talk to Nathan and let you know." She took Stella's hand in hers. "If Allie and Jessie are going to be friends, and I think that's already happened, I'm sure they'll talk about it, and it would be good for you to know about Sarah and Caleb."

"But Allie calls you Mom and Dad?" Stella said. Then she squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "I really don't mean to be so inquisitive, but I know there will be questions that Jessie will ask. Her father left us before she got to know him, so it makes her more curious about other families."

"I understand," Elizabeth said. "Allie is the same way. They see families with a father and a mother and they feel different, set apart. And really that's why we're Allie's mother and father. She very much wanted us to be. So the moment we were married and we were able, we adopted her."

"Thank you for having us, Elizabeth," Stella said suddenly. "We've spent far too many Christmases with just the two of us."

Elizabeth smiled sadly and said, "Yes, it can be tough to make things special when it's just you." Elizabeth took both of Stella's hands in hers. "Nathan said that to me when he was alone with Allie and I was alone with Jack." She looked at the warmth of the house and the lights on the tree, and heard the laughter and conversation that had been going on nonstop the whole time she and Stella had been talking.

"It'll happen for you, Stella," she said. "I can see that you have a lot of love to give. And if I can give you any advice at all, it would be to stay open to it. I only had my heart open a tiny bit for a long time. It wasn't enough for real happiness."

"What opened it all the way?" Stella asked.

"I thought Nathan died," Elizabeth said simply. "On a job. And when I thought he was gone, it all came rushing in."

Stella exhaled and squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "How terrible that must have been for you," she said.

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "Actually, I'm grateful. It told me what was in my heart. That I loved him completely."

"So this was fairly recent?" Stella asked.

Elizabeth laughed softly. "No. We had some bumps after that. But the important thing was that we knew, deep down, that we loved each other. So it was only a matter of time."

"What's a matter of time?" Nathan said, coming up behind Elizabeth and putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Dinner," Elizabeth said, standing up and turning to give him a dazzling smile. "Now, we can eat!"


	93. Chapter 93

Elizabeth sat at the end of the harvest table in a way that she had perfected when she was expecting Jack. After dinner was finished and the brownies were passed around, she started feeling a little cramped, so she leaned back in her chair to give the babies lots of room. But then, she found that she couldn't reach her teacup or her brownie on the table. So she held the cup and the brownie suspended for a little while, and then, without thinking, she simply set the cup down on the shelf that the twins had so thoughtfully provided for her. Her belly.

Nathan was sitting next to her, and while the rest of the group conversed in twos and threes around the large table, he looked over at her with the light of the candles dancing in his eyes. If possible, he was starting to frown and grin at the same time, because he was trying not to laugh as Elizabeth calmly picked up her brownie and took a dainty bite, and then lifted her teacup from the saucer and took a sip.

Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer. "Comfortable?" he asked her, stifling a smile.

Elizabeth tilted her head and looked at him. "I'm going to strap a watermelon around your waist and ask you to go through your day without a few quirks," she said, narrowing her eyes.

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I've heard about this. Are we getting to the point where I need to watch what I say all the time? Because you know I'm pretty good at not saying _anything..."_ He winked at her, and she couldn't stand it. She laughed and had to move quickly to rescue the teacup.

Elizabeth's laugh moved seamlessly into a pout. "Nathan, look at me. I'm _huge._ And it's only going to get worse."

He moved his chair around so he was closer to her, and then bent down next to her head. He spoke very softly in her ear. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and you get more beautiful every day. You're carrying our children and keeping them safe as they grow, and for that I will spend the rest of my life being grateful to you."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed. "Oh, that was so _good,_ Nathan. Have you been practicing that just in case?" she said softly.

He kissed her cheek and then pulled away, shaking his head. "No, it just came to me. I think it was driven by self-preservation, but I meant every word of it."

She sighed and handed the teacup to him. He put his arm out for her and she lifted herself upright. "Two more months? Really?" she said, laughing softly.

Nathan frowned. "We're seeing Carson on the day after Christmas. We might just have him check again. The train tickets can be changed right up to the last minute." He held her tightly at the end of the table, while everyone continued with their conversations. Except for Rebecca on the other side of Elizabeth, who was gazing at them now with soft eyes.

Rebecca reached over and took Elizabeth's hand.

Elizabeth looked at her. "I remember this feeling from when I was expecting Jack. This is when I decide there's no way I'm ready and I want to take it all back."

Rebecca laughed softly and moved closer. "Well, first of all, that boat has sailed, sweetheart. And you were just fine with Jack, weren't you?"

Elizabeth was unconvinced. "That was just one baby, this is _two."_

Rebecca said, "It's easy. You just do it twice."

That made Elizabeth laugh, and all the tension went out of her face. She smiled at Rebecca. "You're the only person I know who can say that with any authority, so I'll believe you. But it sounds a little too simple to be true."

Nathan took Elizabeth's other hand. "Well, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm more than ready. I can't wait to see those two, to hold them."

Rebecca looked at both of them. "Listen, you're going to need help. What would you think about me coming back down when you get back from Hamilton? I can stay as long as you want."

Elizabeth said, "Really? You would do that? Oh, Rebecca, I can't imagine anyone who would make me more comfortable than you. I know I'll have questions and I hate to be calling Carson every five minutes. What if they don't eat the same things? What if they sleep at different hours?"

"They won't, and they will," Rebecca said, laughing. "The important thing to remember is that these little people may be joining the world at the same time, but they're two completely different human beings."

Elizabeth nodded vigorously. "You see? That's what I need. I would love it if you could be here. Just at the beginning. I know you're busy."

Rebecca shook her head. "Too busy to welcome my grandchildren? Never that busy." She paused for a moment. "Does Hope Valley have a pastor yet?"

Nathan frowned. "That was quite a leap, Mom. Why?"

Rebecca leaned in and whispered. "Charlie and I are getting married."

Elizabeth looked at Nathan and just smiled.

Rebecca saw the look on Nathan's face, which was a combination of shock and confusion. She laughed and said, "Should I have him ask you for my hand?"

Nathan shook his head. "No. I'm... I'm _really_ happy for you. I love Charlie, you know that." He looked at Archie down at the other end of the table, coincidentally sitting next to Charlie. "Does Dad know?" he asked softly.

Rebecca whispered, "Not yet. I'm going to tell him after dinner." She frowned a little. "You think he'll be okay with it?"

Nathan just blinked for a moment. "First of all, I have to say that this conversation is a little surreal. You're asking me if my father will be upset if my mother gets married again?" He opened his mouth and then closed it. Then opened it. "I think he'll be fine, but you should probably ask him."

Elizabeth squeezed Rebecca's hand. "So you want to get married when you come down to help with the babies?"

"Yes," Rebecca said. Elizabeth didn't think she blushed, but Rebecca's cheeks did go a little pink.

"We have visiting pastors, but we're never sure when they'll be here. We won't have one for Christmas eve, so we're doing a candlelight service ourselves." Then she stopped and said, "But Bill Avery can marry you."

"The judge?" Rebecca said. She thought for a minute and said, "That would be fine. Nothing fancy. Okay, it's settled then."

Elizabeth said, "Great!"

Rebecca said, "Great."

Nathan went a little pale and said, "Great."

Elizabeth put her arm around Nathan's waist and hugged him. He smiled and reached his hand across the table. "I'm happy for you, Mom. Charlie's a good man."

As they were talking, Stella had already started organizing cleanup, and Jessie and Allie were helping her. Rebecca started clearing plates. Elizabeth tried to pick up her plate and Stella gave her a look that said, _Don't you dare._ Elizabeth put her hands up in surrender. "Thank you, Stella," Elizabeth said warmly.

Stella smiled. "Thank _you._ Delicious dinner, interesting company, and I didn't have to cook. Nothing makes me happier." She took Elizabeth's plate and went into the kitchen.

Nathan and Elizabeth looked at each other and wondered if anyone would notice. Then, very quietly, they stood and walked, without looking backward, to the sunroom swing.

Archie headed out to the barn to scatter the last of the hay in the stalls. It was the only chore he had left for the night, and he thought since everyone was busy inside, he might as well come out and just do it.

He felt so happy for Stella and Jessie being here, and how they'd made friends so quickly. He knew how much time those two spent on their own. With Stella it was either working or doing things for Jessie. And Jessie could be found either at school or at the stables with Sunset. Archie knew what Christmas at Stella's tiny apartment looked like. She did her best, but it was still just the three of them.

So to see them here at Christmas, wrapped up in the love of Nathan and Elizabeth and their friends and family, was a joy to behold. And Archie knew firsthand what a difference the love of this household could mean to someone's life.

Archie looked up from his raking. He could hear the laughter in the house all the way from the barn. He had to admit that there were times when he needed to take himself away because he was almost overwhelmed by it. To go from the loneliness and wretchedness of prison to _this;_ well, it could give a person whiplash.

And there wasn't a moment that went by that Archie didn't thank whatever higher power brought Nathan and Elizabeth together. It was a case of the sum of the two being so much more than the separate parts. Together, Nathan and Elizabeth created a climate of warmth and love that just wrapped you up like a blanket.

"Hey, girl," Archie said to Sarah, rubbing her long nose. "Hey, Sarah..."

"Still can't believe that's the name of that horse," Rebecca said, walking down the stalls.

Archie jumped a little and stepped back. "Oh, I didn't see you..."

Rebecca laughed. "It's pretty dark out here, Arch. You should have Nathan get you some lights."

_This woman,_ Archie thought. All he had to do was hear her voice and it all came back to him. They were both older, and he knew he'd used up every last chance he had with her, but she could still get his heart going.

Laughing softly, Archie said, "And he'd put them in, you can be sure of that. But I'm trying to earn my keep around here, and that might put me in the hole."

Rebecca was standing next to him now, and she put her hand up on Sarah's cheek. "Elizabeth thinks it was a sign. This horse's name?" She looked at Archie. "How do you take it?"

Archie nodded. "Well, I'm not much for signs, but I will admit I'd like to think our Sarah is a part of all this. Allie loves this horse." He smiled at Rebecca. "And Nathan has sure landed on his feet."

Laughing, Rebecca said, "Oh, his feet haven't touched the ground since sometime last year."

"You got that right, Becky," Archie said. Rebecca flinched slightly at the name he'd always called her. No one else ever had. To cover her reaction, she moved closer to Allie's horse and said softly, "Sarah."

They both stood there for a moment. In regret, in grief. They had never talked about their daughter's death. Nathan had been the one to write to his father. Rebecca hadn't been able to communicate with Archie from that day until Nathan had brought them together again.

"I'm sorry, Beck," Archie said, his voice faltering. "I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am. How selfish, how hurtful..."

Rebecca took a deep breath, and said crisply, "Oh, now don't go overboard. We were both a part of this, and we both know it." She looked directly at him. "I may have wished you were there when Sarah died, but truth is, I was such a basket-case that I might not have even known. I didn't think I could breathe another minute. And then I just did. And again. And, well, I lived."

"You're a strong woman. Never was any doubt of that," Archie said firmly.

Rebecca looked at him. "I gather Nathan told you that Caleb came here?" she asked.

Archie looked up with fire in his eyes. "Yes, and he also told me that he was arrested and sent over to the war in Europe. If there's justice, he's explaining himself somewhere other than _this_ world."

Rebecca smiled. She always loved that spark in Archie, and it had been missing for a long time. She was glad to see it back. "I couldn't agree more, Arch."

Smiling back at her, he said, "Well. We agree on something."

Rebecca nodded. "It's a start."

Archie took a deep breath and frowned. "So. You and Charlie. It's good?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes. It's fine. We're a very good fit."

There were so many things that Archie wanted to say, and if she'd given him even the slightest indication that she wanted him to, he would have. But he knew this look. She'd made up her mind and he needed to move on. And he wanted happiness for her.

"That's good, Becky. I'm glad for both of you," Archie said.

Rebecca stood up a little taller. "And to that point, Arch. I've left some papers in your room on the desk. I'd be pleased if you'd read them and sign them."

He already knew, but he had to hear her say it. "What kind of papers, Rebecca?" Archie using her full name wasn't lost on her.

"Divorce papers," she said softly. "Charlie and I want to get married."

After all these years, it was still a kick in the gut. In truth, he'd expected it long ago, when he was in prison. He'd started thinking she meant to truly make it "till death do you part."

Archie just nodded. He didn't entirely trust his voice in this moment.

Rebecca knew him so well. "I know. I feel the same way. We really did believe it, didn't we?"

Archie took a breath. "We did, Beck."

Smiling, Rebecca said, "But look at Nathan, Arch. And he came from us, so we must have done something right. What a life he has. And we get to just bask in the warmth of it. What a blessing that is."

Now Archie really looked at her. "It's the most unexpected blessing of my life." He reached out and softly touched her shoulder. "I'll look over those papers tonight and sign them. I'll slip them under Jack's door for you when I'm done."

Putting her hand over his on her shoulder, Rebecca said, "Thank you." She smiled. "I'm so glad you're here with them."

"I thank God every day, Becky."

Rebecca squeezed his hand and started to walk down the stalls. Then she turned and said, "Oh, and I'm sure you've seen the loveseat in the living room."

Archie laughed softly, "I noticed it right off."

She raised her eyebrows. "Lot of good memories in that loveseat. I figured they'd just make more."

Smiling, she turned again and walked out of the barn. Archie watched her all the way until she disappeared from sight.


	94. Chapter 94

Nathan pulled some pillows off of the sofa and tucked them under Elizabeth's back. Then he brought the footstool over and carefully removed her shoes and began rubbing her stockinged feet.

"Ohh," she said, leaning back and closing her eyes. "You're piling up so many points these days. You have no idea how good that feels."

Nathan looked up at her. From this vantage point down near the floor, the changes that were happening to her body were even more pronounced than when he stood next to her. It simultaneously brought up an intense feeling of wonder and a vague sense of fear. He couldn't really comprehend how it was even possible for the human body to alter itself so drastically.

And truly, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He looked up at her, sighing while he massaged her feet, and her face had a freshness and a glow that was even more lovely than usual.

"You really are so beautiful, Elizabeth," Nathan said softly.

She opened one eye and said, "You've _got_ to be kidding."

He shook his head and smiled softly at her. "Nope. I'm absolutely serious."

Elizabeth closed her eye again. "Well, thank you. But you need to have your eyes examined. We'll talk to Carson about it."

Nathan laughed. "I'm sure Carson has known plenty of fathers-to-be who've felt the same way." He looked up at her and asked, "Enough?"

She sighed again and opened her eyes, wiggling her feet. "Never. But come up here, please, I'd rather have you next to me."

Nathan stood up and took off his jacket so that he was in his shirt and suspenders. The wood in the stove had gone down to bright embers and the room was cozily warm. He sat next to her and as always, his arm naturally curled around her and she snuggled down into his chest. "I think this is my favorite place in the whole world," she said.

"I'm glad we brought the swing in," Nathan said, looking out of the window.

Elizabeth laughed softly, "That, too. But I was talking about _here,"_ she said, moving her head further down into his chest. "Have you ever noticed how well we fit together? You have this perfect space for my head. I can hear your heartbeat, and feel how warm you are, and when you talk I hear your voice echoing a little..."

Nathan nodded and said, "Mmmm-hm," which he knew would resonate in her ear. She laughed softly, and then they sat for a moment, listening to the crackling of the fire and feeling the slight motion of the swing while Nathan stroked her hair. Through the open door, they could hear lively conversations and bursts of laughter from the other rooms in the house.

They'd hoped they wouldn't be missed, and it seemed that they weren't.

He pulled her closer and exhaled. "I do remember saying it," he told her, chuckling a little.

"Saying what?" Elizabeth asked.

"That I liked to keep it simple at Christmas."

She smiled and said, "I knew you remembered."

"But," he said, smoothing the curls away from her face, "That was because _complicated_ had never been an enjoyable thing for me before. Now we have both my mother and father under the same roof, which I never would have believed could happen - _and_ my mother's boyfriend and probably soon-to-be husband, which I can still hardly say without wincing a little - _and_ the daughter and granddaughter of a man I very recently put in prison..." He shook his head. "That does _not_ sound like the makings of a pleasant dinner party."

Elizabeth laughed softly. "And we just had a lovely time together, all of us, didn't we?"

Nathan nodded. "Surprisingly civilized," he said. "So, I take back my desire to keep things simple. I'm starting to think that life isn't meant to be simple."

"Well, ours certainly hasn't been," Elizabeth said softly. She pulled away and looked up at him, tracing his strong jaw and chin lightly with her fingers. "But in other ways, it's elegantly simple. I love you. That's the simplest phrase of all, and it drives everything else."

Nathan sighed. "I'm going to remind you to write that in your journal tonight. That was nicely said."

Elizabeth laughed. "Oh, my journal these days is a jumble of wild and not-very-well-expressed thoughts." She sat up and looked at him. "I can't explain it, but it really is like there are three of us in here," she tapped her forehead. "I remember with Jack that I felt I knew him already when he was born, because he'd made an impression on my mind somehow. And now with two of them... sometimes I can't keep a thought straight in my head for more than a minute." She laughed. "It's like they're having discussions long into the night, and I'm just listening somehow." She shook her head. "I know I sound insane. I probably shouldn't be trusted with teaching children..."

"Of course you should," Nathan said laughing softly. "You're doing a _lot_ right now. You need to remember that, and give yourself a break."

Elizabeth turned to him. "I love being able to tell you all this. To be able to sound crazy."

"You don't sound crazy. I'm in awe of your sanity, Elizabeth." He laughed softly. "If _that_ was happening to me..." He raised his eyebrows, speechless.

Elizabeth laughed. "I have heard that if men had to give birth, the human race might not continue."

"Don't laugh," Nathan said. "I think that's true."

Elizabeth toyed with his suspender. "Big, brave Mountie."

Nathan laughed. "Give me a stage robbery any day. Just don't ask me to do what you're doing." His eyes met hers and held there for a moment, then he said, "It really is such a miracle. I can't get over it. And once they're here, and we're holding them, I don't think I'll understand it any better." He looked at her. "How can I love them already? I do. And I thought I couldn't love you more than I did. But I do."

Nathan laid his hand gently on the rise of her stomach, and then he kissed her, at first softly. As she felt the heat on his lips, Elizabeth responded. Suddenly, Nathan pulled away and looked down at his hand. Elizabeth was giggling softly. "Did I do that?" he said, his eyes wide.

"Yes, I think so," she said, feeling them kicking. She looked up from under her lashes at Nathan and spoke softly as her cheeks went pink. "They seem to know what I'm feeling. Sometimes I get upset and so do they."

Nathan kissed her and said softly, "I didn't get the feeling you were _upset,_ angel."

Elizabeth felt her cheeks go from pink to red. She rolled her eyes, "Honestly! I have absolutely no secrets from you. It isn't fair." She tried to cross her arms around her middle and failed miserably, ending up with them somewhere under her chin.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and smiled at him. "We need to talk about plans, starting with Jack's birthday tomorrow," she said.

Nathan smiled and kissed her cheek, his eyes twinkling. "Whatever you want."

Elizabeth was suddenly all business and she felt herself regaining some composure. "So, the question is, when do you want to have the party for Jack? We have the gathering at Lee and Rosemary's in the early evening, and then the Candlelight Service at the church at eight. So the evening is already full. But Jessie and Allie want to go riding tomorrow, and Archie is going with them. Add that to family breakfast, and that pretty much takes care of the daytime, unless we have Jack's birthday the minute we wake up."

Elizabeth looked over at Nathan. "Jack's two. He won't know _when_ we're celebrating his birthday, and I think it would be nice to have more than just the family running in from somewhere, and on their way to somewhere else. Should we do it on Christmas Day instead?"

Nathan exhaled. "This is going to be a challenge every year. I think it would be nice if we could do it on his actual birthday. Do you think Rosemary and Lee would mind if we combined it with their party?" Nathan asked.

Elizabeth shrugged and smiled at him. "That could work. Let me ask Rosemary. Actually, I think they'd love it."

Grinning, Nathan said, "Problem solved. Next?"

Elizabeth turned and ran her fingers through his hair. "I would just like to go on record as saying that you're navigating the dangerous waters of a pregnant wife with great skill."

Nathan raised his eyebrows and grimaced. "I'm glad to hear it. You _can_ be a little..." He struggled for the right word.

"Moody? Cranky? Unkind?" Elizabeth said.

"I was going to say, _changeable,"_ he said gently. "And you're never unkind, Elizabeth. That's just not in your nature."

"We still have two months to go..." she said, raising her eyebrow.

Nathan laughed. "I'm still not worried."

Suddenly she looked right into his eyes. Her hand was still at his temple, stroking his hair. "I wish you could be there," she said.

"Be _where_, angel?" he said. "I'll be wherever you need me to be."

Elizabeth frowned and looked down. "You can't be if I'm in a hospital. If I had the babies here, you could be in the bedroom with me, holding my hand, talking to me. But Carson said it's not allowed in the hospital." She looked up into Nathan's eyes. "Would you want to be there, if you could?"

Nathan took a deep breath, and when she saw what was in his eyes, she was immediately sorry she asked. She put her hand on his cheek and quickly said, "No, that was selfish of me. I shouldn't have put you in a position to answer that question."

Nathan frowned. "Just give me a moment, angel." He blinked and she could see him switching from raw emotion to logic. "Yes. I would want to be with you. Holding your hand, talking to you. I would want to see our children the very moment they come into the world."

Elizabeth looked down, suddenly focused on a tassel on the pillow. "Thank you," she whispered. "That's enough for now. I just know that I'm going to want you near, but Carson said if it's difficult, they sometimes use ether, and I might not even be..."

"Elizabeth, stop," Nathan said softly, lifting her chin. He looked into her eyes. "It's all going to be alright. I can see it now, too."

And just like that, they'd switched places. Elizabeth was afraid, and Nathan was confident. Elizabeth smiled and said softly, "A convert. First believing in signs, and now this..." She leaned up and kissed him. "Thank you for being strong when I'm not."

Nathan laughed softly. "You've certainly done that enough for me," he said.

Rebecca hadn't meant to listen, but for a moment after she'd stepped through the door, she'd thought she might be needed. She remembered so well what it felt like to carry two babies, how her moods were on a roller coaster, trying not to look at statistics, struggling to have _faith._

So she'd stood ready in the doorway just in case. But now she backed out silently. She would talk to Elizabeth in the next day or two and ease her mind, give her support. But for right now, Rebecca could leave Elizabeth in her son's very capable hands.

Listening to Nathan and Elizabeth was actually a good counterpoint to having asked her husband of thirty-seven years for a divorce. She and Archie had been so in love and so headstrong when they'd married that they knew nothing about negotiation or shifting priorities. What they knew how to do was fight loudly and then make up passionately.

Archie could have learned a lot from his son. And she could learn a lot from Elizabeth, Rebecca thought. Suddenly, she had an overwhelming desire to be married again, and to do it right this time. She'd certainly made enough mistakes, and she hoped she'd learned from them.

With that desire came a need to tell Charlie. Not to wait two days for some paperwork wrapped under the tree. He'd been asking for years, he'd waited long enough. But before she could find him, he found her.

"You listening at doors?" Charlie said, coming around the corner.

"No," Rebecca huffed. "I thought I might be needed, but it turned out I wasn't." She put her arm through Charlie's and walked out to the front room. "No Christmas trees in Airdrie this year. So strange," she said, leading him over to the tree and putting her nose down to a branch full of fresh needles. "Smells so nice."

Charlie smiled. "What's nice is not to have to drag them in and out of the house this year. We can enjoy this one just fine."

Nodding, Rebecca said, "Best of both worlds." She turned to Charlie. "You okay? Too much commotion?"

Charlie squeezed her arm warmly. "Don't you worry about me. I can take care of myself." He nodded. "And these are good people."

"But you're still headed over to the livery, aren't you?" Rebecca said, raising an eyebrow.

Charlie smiled. "What makes you think that?"

Laughing, Rebecca said, "You have one foot out the door already. You want to go talk to Kevin and find out what sorts of alloys he uses in his horseshoes, or some other nonsense."

Charlie laughed too. "You almost got that right. You've been paying attention."

"Not intentionally," she said, making a face. She pulled his coat down from the rack at the front door and said, "You go. I'll say goodbye for you. The host and hostess are indisposed at present." After Charlie put on his coat, she straightened his collar and looped his scarf around his neck while he got his hat on.

"Breakfast at seven," she said, softly, fussing with his buttons.

Charlie frowned. "What's got into you?"

Rebecca looked him in the eye. "Well, I have something to tell you, and I'm nervous about it." She saw the look in his eyes and said, "Not a bad nervous. A sort of shy nervous."

Charlie just looked at her, slightly exasperated. "What are you trying to say, woman?"

Rebecca stood tall, which was just about eye-to-eye with Charlie. "Yes," she said firmly.

Charlie shook his head, confused. "Yes what?"

"Yes, I'll marry you."

Rebecca thought he might have turned to stone, except for the fact that his eyelids were blinking.

"Did you hear me?" she said.

Charlie leaned in and whispered, "I've asked you to marry me in some of the most beautiful and sacred places in Airdrie. With flowers and music. Poetry. Barbecue Ribs. I've tried everything. For _years._ And you're saying yes to me by the front door of Nathan's house after dinner with a bunch of people talking in the other room?"

Rebecca stood firm. "Yep. Take it or leave it."

A grin blossomed over Charlie's weathered face. "I'll take it."

Rebecca smiled back. She turned and looked at everyone in conversation in the other rooms. No one was paying attention. So she took Charlie's face in her hands and kissed him, full on the lips, rendering him speechless.

"Now go, old man, and talk about horseshoes."

Charlie winked at her and went out. Rebecca closed the door and leaned against it, catching her breath.

It was only then that she saw Archie all the way across the room, talking to Stella. For a moment, their eyes met. Archie gave her a genuine smile and nodded. She nodded back.

_Thirty-seven years,_ Rebecca thought. And now a new beginning.


	95. Chapter 95

Lee wasn't quite sure when he and Jesse became the ones in charge of the wishing tree in the center of Hope Valley, but he loved the responsibility. It made sense, because he had all the sawmill equipment and the land with all the best trees on it. It had probably happened the same way everything happens in Hope Valley. There was a need, and someone volunteered to help. And in this case, that someone was Lee.

Lee had found that volunteering always brought a gift with it. Now he found himself looking for the tree all year long as he walked and drove the sawmill's land. So in essence, he had Christmas in his heart every day of the year. And that was the gift.

And now, a couple of days before Christmas, Lee and Jesse were in the wagon looking for the flag Lee had left at the end of the row of trees.

"There it is," Lee said to Jesse. The small red flag waved listlessly in the light breeze. The snow on the ground was three feet deep, and they were meeting four of the sawmill workers who would help to get the tree into the wagon.

Walking down the row, Lee pointed at it. A strip of red cloth was tied to a branch. Lee had found it last August and it was the perfect height and fullness for the town square. He'd looked at it then and imagined it covered with snow as it was now, and Lee smiled. It didn't disappoint. It was definitely the right tree.

"Got it?" Lee asked Jesse.

"Yep," Jesse said, nodding. "We should have this down in no time."

"Okay," Lee said. "I'll be back at the office. Let me know when you're ready to set it up."

"Will do," Jesse said.

Lee untethered his horse from the back of the wagon and pulled himself up into the saddle. "Hey, Jesse," he called out as he started down the road. "Merry Christmas!"

Jesse turned and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Lee."

Lee turned his horse and headed toward town. The other benefit of having the tree be his task was that he and Jesse knew that they would never be asked to serve as Santa Claus. Lee had been roped into it one year by Rosemary, and he figured that gave him immunity for the rest of time.

It was always Rosemary's least-loved job, finding one of the men in town who would be willing to don the Santa suit. As Elizabeth had said one year when she'd had the task of finding Santa Claus, the closer it got to Christmas, the more the men in town refused to make eye contact with her. Rosemary just couldn't understand it. She would think that the men of Hope Valley would be jumping at the chance.

Rosemary had asked Lee once, "Why doesn't _everyone _want to be the jolliest, happiest person on earth for a day? Why does everyone run away from me!"

Laughing, Lee said, "Okay, fine. We'll put you in that suit for an entire day and see how _you_ like it. That white hair that keeps getting stuck in your teeth, the pillow strapped to your stomach, the sweltering suit, having every child in town try to pull your beard off, the kids that run away screaming because they're afraid of you, not to mention having to say 'Ho! Ho! Ho!' every minute and a half..."

Rosemary opened her mouth wide in shock. "Well, _bah humbug_ to you too, Lee Coulter!" She went to the door grumpily, looking a little like Scrooge herself. "You'll see, I'll have someone by the end of the day!"

This year, Rosemary had her sights set on Bill Avery, and he was not going to be an easy nut to crack. But Rosemary knew the key was persistence, and that she was the woman for the job.

Unfortunately, she'd begun to notice that Bill was crossing the street to avoid her, so finally she had simply decided to go to his office.

Bill was too quick for her. Molly was feather dusting his desk when he suddenly slipped out of his leather chair and disappeared beneath it.

"Cover for me," Bill said from under the desk, whispering as loudly as he could.

Molly turned around quickly and faced the door, looking as if she'd just swallowed a canary.

"Molly, I need to speak to the Judge," Rosemary said, waving her hand in the air. "On a matter of great importance!"

Molly raised her eyebrows and tried to sit casually on the front edge of Bill's desk to cover him. She held the sides of her long skirt in her hands and fanned it out, smiling sweetly as if it was something that anyone would do.

Rosemary frowned at her and tilted her head. "Molly, _where_ is Bill?"

Molly looked around, still pinned by both hands to the front of the desk. "Bill?" she said.

"Bill Avery, our _judge?"_ Rosemary said, her frown deepening. "Where is he?"

"He just slipped... out," Molly said, smiling hugely.

"Well, then, I will just wait," Rosemary said, starting to walk around Bill's desk.

"NO!" Molly said, standing in her way. Now the front of Bill's desk was open to the front door. He crawled out so Molly could see him, but Rosemary couldn't. He pointed to the door, and Molly positioned herself so that Rosemary's back was to the door while Bill slinked out sideways.

Molly exhaled loudly in relief, completely exhausted from the stress of the last few minutes.

Rosemary put her hand on Molly's forehead. "Are you alright?" she asked, concerned. She walked Molly over to Bill's leather chair and sat her down in it, then went to get her some water. Molly was fanning herself with the feather duster when she saw Bill peek around the corner of the window. Molly frowned and waved him away just as Rosemary came back with the water and sat in the chair opposite her.

"Molly, dear, if I may say so, you're acting very strangely. Do I need to go and get Carson?" Rosemary asked.

Fanning herself again with the duster, Molly said, "No, no, really I'm just fine! Just a little warm, is all," she said. "Phew!"

They were quiet for a bit, and Rosemary sat up straight every time someone walked past the window. Finally she couldn't bear it any longer.

Standing, Rosemary said, "Well, I have things to do. I can't sit here waiting for him all day." She smoothed her skirt gracefully and raised her chin. "Please tell Judge Avery that I'm looking for him," she said, focusing her eyes on Molly in a way that made her shrink back in the chair a little.

"Yes," Molly said, nodding. "I will certainly do that."

For some reason, all week long Bill had always been where Rosemary was _not,_ but Elizabeth was the one who finally gave her the answer.

Jack's birthday party had been combined with Rosemary and Lee's Christmas Eve gathering, and she knew she had him. There was no way that Bill would miss Jack's birthday party. Persistence!

The Coulters always looked forward to Christmas, but this year would be made even more memorable because they had Violet. And because they weren't certain exactly how long they would have her, it made it even more important to Rosemary and Lee that this be a Christmas that none of them would ever forget.

The week before Christmas, Rosemary, Lee and Violet had traveled to Brookfield as they promised, and had spent the afternoon with Frances and Harold. They'd been a little nervous about how Frances would react to seeing Violet after so many months, but they needn't have been. Frances held her daughter and played with her, and she couldn't stop saying how big and strong and healthy she looked, and what a good job Rosemary and Lee were doing in taking care of her. She mentioned again those difficult days after she was born and how desperately she'd wanted to give Violet everything she needed.

Rosemary talked on the way home with Lee about how the primary emotions she'd seen in Frances were an intense love for her little girl and an almost overwhelming sense of relief that she was being so well cared for.

Frances hadn't mentioned asking for Violet back. She'd only said that she'd like to come visit Hope Valley in the new year and see what Violet's nursery and their home looked like.

Rosemary and Lee had invited both Harold and Frances for Christmas eve, but they'd made friends in Brookfield and had already been invited to the home of the owner of the General Store. Every year Joe gave a dinner for all those who were alone at Christmas, and it was enjoyed so much that now some families had started coming as well.

Harold was helping Joe out on the loading dock at the General Store a couple of days a week and he told Lee that soon he should be able to start paying for their rooms at the boarding house himself.

On the way home from Brookfield, Violet had clutched the small calico horse that Frances had sewn and embroidered painstakingly and beautifully as a Christmas gift.

"It does seem like a happy ending all the way around," Rosemary said to Lee as they drove back to Hope Valley.

Lee turned to her. "Because of you, Rosie. All because of you."

Rosemary nodded. "Well, we'll see. It would be nice to someday get to a place where we know for certain Violet is _ours,"_ she said wistfully. "Really ours."

"I know what you mean," Lee said. "Patience and prayer, Rosie. Let's see what the new year brings. Maybe an answer will come."

Today, Rosemary and Clara were at the Coulters' house getting the wooden ornaments ready for the wishing tree. Every year now, this was their ritual. While the men were out getting the tree, they would go through the ornaments that had been taken down the Christmas before and either erase what was written on them in pencil, or paint over the writing if it was particularly indelible.

The idea of the Wishing Tree was simple. Each person writes a wish that they have for Christmas and they hang it on the tree. Then someone else takes down the ornament and works toward making that wish come true. It had been a wonderful tradition for years, and had yielded some truly miraculous results. One year, Elizabeth's wish to spend Christmas with Jack came true after Bill Avery called in a few favors. The next year, the children from the Brookfield orphanage had a Christmas filled with gifts and matching pajamas when the Hope Valley children made that their wish.

This year, it was anyone's guess what the wishes might be and how they would come true, but if history was any indication, most of them would.

"Hello," Elizabeth's voice called out from the back door. She stepped into the house with Rebecca on one arm and her ever-present basket on the other.

Rosemary popped up. "Good morning!" she said brightly. She first hugged Elizabeth and then Rebecca. "Welcome!"

"I wanted Rebecca to see your beautiful new house before the party," Elizabeth said to Rosemary. Then, hugging Clara, she said, "You remember Rebecca?"

Clara smiled, "Of course! And your lovely ranch in Airdrie. What a wonderful time we had there, Rebecca," Clara said as she hugged her warmly.

Rebecca looked at the table filled with wooden ornaments. "And what's going on here?"

Hanging up her coat and sitting down at the table, Elizabeth said, "These are for our wishing tree for the center of town."

Rosemary took Rebecca's coat and said, "I'll explain it all to you while I show you the house. We managed to find the most _spectacular_ fabric for the drapes in the bedroom..." Rosemary's voice drifted off and Elizabeth looked up and smiled warmly at Clara.

"Can I help? Elizabeth said.

"Absolutely," Clara said, handing her an eraser and a paintbrush. "We're just cleaning them up to put out in the square. And as you can see, we have a lot of them!" Elizabeth looked at the baskets strewn across the table, all filled with the wooden ornaments. She picked one that said _Make Christmas special for the orphans. _She smiled. "You remember this?" she said softly to Clara.

Clara smiled too. "I'll never forget it. Rosemary and I stayed up most of Christmas eve making green and red plaid flannel nightgowns and pajamas for the children. One of the best Christmas eves I can remember."

After erasing that one and putting it in the basket ready to take out to the square, Elizabeth picked up another one. "How do you get through these?" she said, laughing. "Each one I read brings back so many memories."

Clara said, "That's why we've been sitting here all morning! Rosemary and I have been talking about all of them and telling stories. And Rosemary pulled _all_ of the ornaments out this year because the town has grown so much. Some of these are years old. It's bringing back so many wonderful memories."

Finishing another one, Elizabeth reached down deeply into the basket. After a moment, Clara noticed that Elizabeth had gone silent and was rubbing her finger gently across the ornament in her hand. Clara looked down and realized it was in Elizabeth's own handwriting and it said _I wish Jack could be here with me._

Clara reached across the table and put her hand on Elizabeth's arm. Elizabeth looked up at her and smiled. There were no tears in her eyes. "We've found happiness, Clara, haven't we? I didn't think it was possible, but it is."

Clara smiled. "Yes, we have." She walked around the table and sat next to Elizabeth, putting her arm around her. "And I feel so certain in my heart that Peter and Jack are up there, and happy for us. I know they wouldn't want us to be alone." Clara looked down at Elizabeth's growing tummy. "And Jack would want little Jack to have a loving father like Nathan. And the wonderful family that you're both giving that little boy."

Elizabeth smiled at Clara. "Have I told you how much you've helped me through all this? From the very beginning, when Abigail brought us all together to talk about our grief. And then, you made me see that I needed to open myself up to love again." She looked fervently into Clara's eyes. "You were the only one who could really convince me, you know? You'd lost Peter after such a short time, as I did with Jack. And then you and Jesse and the joy of your marriage. You showed me a path to happiness, Clara."

Now tears did spring to Clara's eyes as she hugged Elizabeth. When she pulled away to look in her eyes, Elizabeth's were glistening as well. Clara smiled. "You do remember that you caught the bouquet at my wedding, don't you?" Clara raised an eyebrow. "You think that was an accident?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Such a little matchmaker." Smiling warmly, she said, "Thank you. For all of it. Nathan and I have the best life I could ever imagine for myself. And you and Jesse..."

"Are ridiculously happy," she said, laughing. Clara wiped a single tear from Elizabeth's cheek. "I love knowing that this tear comes from joy, Elizabeth." She hugged her again. "We both deserve it."


	96. Chapter 96

On Christmas eve, the Grant family and their guests began the walk to the Coulters' house as a group, using the well-travelled path between the houses. Lucas and Julie had come out early to spend some time around the harvest table and to walk over with them.

Nathan was holding Jack on his shoulders, so Elizabeth walked between Rebecca and Stella with her arms through theirs. Nathan and Lee were very good about keeping the path well-shoveled so Rosemary, Elizabeth, and the children could easily travel back and forth, which they did daily, often multiple times a day.

In fact, the snow shoveling had turned into something that functioned much the same way as Elizabeth and Rosemary's meetings over the fence at the row houses while they hung laundry. Lee and Nathan were performing an essential task after it snowed, but would often meet in the middle between the two houses and find the time to talk.

More than once Elizabeth had looked out the window and had seen them both leaning on their shovels and talking. And because it made her smile, she always wanted to call Rosemary and see if she was watching them from her side of the path.

In addition to being neighbors, the two families were the best of friends. Jack loved being around Violet, and Elizabeth could see he was enjoying being the older of the two of them. He protected her, and when she cried, he would immediately look up at Rosemary and Elizabeth with his very concerned two-year-old face as if to say, "What are we going to do about this?" In fact they all spent so much time at each other's houses that Elizabeth had joked to Rosemary that Jack and Violet probably thought they all lived in both houses with a snowy pathway in between.

And now on Christmas eve, the path was especially appreciated. From where they walked they could see the steady stream of guests coming up to the front of the house, while they made their way toward the back door.

This was shaping up to be a wonderful Christmas, and it was really just getting started. Stella and Jessie had fit in beautifully, and had worked their way into everyone's heart already. Elizabeth didn't want to think about how hard it was going to be for Allie to say goodbye to Jessie. The girls had gone riding together every day and were inseparable.

Elizabeth had spoken to Stella again about whether it would be possible for them to move to Hope Valley. She'd learned that there really wasn't anything keeping them in Spruce Grove now that Archie had moved.

Elizabeth wanted to be sure that she introduced Stella to Bill tonight, in case the café was looking for help. While they were around the harvest table earlier, she'd noticed that Stella had been deep in conversation with Lucas and Julie, possibly another good sign for her future in Hope Valley.

She didn't want to think of it as meddling in people's lives, but Elizabeth felt so safe and loved here that she wanted everyone to know how that felt. Especially good people like Stella and Jessie who were hungry for the type of community the town offered. And she wasn't really meddling, she told herself. She was simply introducing people and offering them new possibilities.

Elizabeth and Stella had been enjoying their time together immensely, especially in the kitchen along with Rebecca. The three of them had laughed over Stella's stories of her regular customers at the Spruce Café, the quirks of the cooks and the other waitresses. Stella had an easy way of connecting to people, and Elizabeth could see why Archie had so easily taken her under his wing.

On the path ahead, Elizabeth could see Jessie and Allie walking with their heads together the way they'd been for days. Aside from their mutual love of horses, Jane Austen, Queen Victoria, and Jane Eyre, they had numerous other common interests. Elizabeth's only worry was that they weren't getting enough sleep because they talked so late into the night.

It was very cold outside tonight, definitely below freezing, and in the lights reflecting from Rosemary and Lee's house, the snow on the path had crisp edges that crunched noisily under their feet.

Archie walked just a little behind Elizabeth, and she noticed that Charlie was walking just a few steps ahead of her. She tilted her head up at Nathan, and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"What?" he said, looking down at her from around Stella.

She smiled and looked at Stella, Rebecca, Charlie and then at Archie behind her. She was surrounded by a sort of protective cocoon. "Am I in some kind of formation here, Constable?"

Nathan gave her his crooked smile and raised an eyebrow. "It can get a little slippery out here," he said. Elizabeth noticed that her four protectors were strangely silent, though there was a smile threatening the corner of Stella's mouth.

Elizabeth shook her head. "So if I start to slip, I have four people ready to hit the ground and break my fall?"

Charlie turned around and smiled, "Try not to fall forward. I'm not sure how steady I am, myself." Rebecca snorted, and he looked back at her, laughing. "Who do you think is going to run that ranch if I break a hip, woman?"

Elizabeth smiled at both of them. "I promise I'll try to stay on my feet. But I appreciate all of you." She looked up at Nathan and her eyes went soft. "Thank you for taking such good care of me."

As they got closer, they began to catch whiffs of Rosemary's famous mulled apple cider. The overtones of cinnamon, cloves and oranges, along with something savory, wafted close by and made them all walk a bit faster.

As they came through the side yard they could see inside the house, which was bathed in a warm, yellow light. Christmas music was coming from the Victrola and the faint sound of voices, rising and falling, could be heard from the front room.

"Hello!" Julie called. She and Lucas were at the front of this little procession, and reached the back door first.

Lee opened it. "Welcome!" he said, and stepped back to let everyone in. Elizabeth had come over with Stella earlier in the day to bring Jack's birthday presents and the food they were sharing. Allie's soft farmer's cheese had been such a hit last night, that Elizabeth talked Allie and Jessie through creating a beautiful plate of appetizers much like they'd had the night before.

The warmth inside the house was welcome after the chill outside. Nathan took Jack down from his shoulders and he ran right to the playroom where Violet was holding court with Florence, Faith and Laura. Every room in the house had groups of two, three or more standing, seated, talking, laughing, and sipping on the deliciously aromatic warm cider.

Rosemary was certainly in her element. "Elizabeth! Come sit with me," she said, offering her the deepest, softest chair in the house. It was facing the largest part of the main room and though Rosemary wanted very much for her friend to be comfortable, she also had an ulterior motive.

Sitting close to her, Rosemary said, "I keep getting called here and there, so I need you to help me. I am absolutely _determined_ to get Bill as our Santa for tomorrow, and as you know, he's been avoiding me." She raised an eyebrow and looked around the room as if she were a foreign spy. "When he comes over to sit with you, and he certainly will, you hold _on_ to him."

Elizabeth laughed, "Rosemary, I don't think I want to get involved in this. Can't you get Lee to do it again?"

Rosemary frowned. "He says that since he and Jesse get the tree now every year, I can't ever ask him again."

A voice behind her said, "No one's asked me." Rosemary turned around and Archie was standing there. She looked at him for a moment, blinking, and then a huge smile blossomed on her face.

"Would you?" she said, unable to believe her good luck.

Archie nodded with a delighted grin. "Sure I would. Who wouldn't want to be Santa Claus?" he said, his eyes wide.

"My sentiments exactly!" Rosemary said, and she threw her arms around Archie, almost knocking him backwards. "You're perfect!" She took his hand and started toward the extra bedroom. "Let's just see how that costume fits you. We'll definitely need the pillow, but I think it will be just right..." Elizabeth laughed, watching them disappear down the hall. She thought Rosemary may have found her Santa for a good long time.

For a moment, Elizabeth sat by the fire watching the room full of people as it ebbed and flowed. Ned Yost in deep conversation with Gustav, Fiona and Kevin standing very close together at the Coulters' tree looking at the ornaments, Molly and Hickam chatting as they looked out the window to the moon on the pond.

Elizabeth was enjoying this vantage point very much. She found herself smiling as Stella made her way around the room, comfortable with simply introducing herself to those she didn't know, until finally, she was standing at the front windows with Molly and Hickam. And then, Molly excused herself, and it was just Stella and Hickam.

Mike must have been saying something very funny, because Stella was laughing. Then he looked at her as she spoke, hanging on her every word as she spoke passionately about something, using her hands to make her point. Then both of them just looking out at the moon.

_Stella and Hickam._ Elizabeth took a deep breath and smiled. Mike. And Stella. And suddenly, in the way Elizabeth was prone to do these days, she had a little peek into the future.

"What are you staring at?" Nathan's voice was right at her ear and she reached up to touch his face gently.

"Nothing," she said casually, feeling slightly caught.

"No, that's not a _nothing_ stare. That's the look you get when your mind is working away at something." He put his head right down next to hers so he could see exactly where she was looking.

"Ah," he said softly. "You think so?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Maybe," she said. "Can you see it?" She turned at looked at him, her lips just inches away from his. "I can see it."

Nathan kissed her quickly. "What is it that makes you want everyone to be in love?" he said softly.

Elizabeth sighed and looked into his eyes. "Because I can't imagine a better place to be," she said.

Exhaling softly, Nathan said, "Well, I can't argue with that." He came around and sat in the chair next to her. "Do you need anything? Some cider? Tea?"

Elizabeth took his hand. "I'm very happy, and you're very sweet," she said. "I'm really fine. You go mingle."

He tilted his head at her. "Elizabeth. Have you _ever_ known me to be a good mingler?"

She laughed and said, "You're better at it than you think you are."

They both watched Allie for a moment as she passed around her cheese appetizers.

Allie was now supplying soft farmer's cheese and butter to the Coulters as well as Le Bistro and the saloon. Milking Lizzie once or twice a day provided far more milk than the family could use, so it made everyone happy.

"Should we be worried about how much money she's making on that little hobby?" Nathan asked Elizabeth.

Elizabeth smiled, "Maybe if it was anyone else but Allie," she said. "You know, I remember when you two first came to Hope Valley, she had exceptional skills in mathematics in my classroom, and she's only gotten better. And the best part is that she really enjoys it." Elizabeth laughed. "I remember one day when I gave the class a math assignment and every student groaned, while Allie sat there grinning like the Cheshire Cat."

"But what does she do with all that money?" Nathan asked.

"It's all saved, and she has a book with every deposit. She and I sat down and worked on it together."

Nathan smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you." He gazed back at Allie for a moment, then turned back to Elizabeth. "What do you think about me taking her over to the bank and having them set up an account for her?" Nathan said.

"That's a wonderful idea!" Elizabeth said. "Then maybe we can talk to her about goals, and saving for something she wants..."

"What are you two doing hiding in the corner?" Bill said, sitting down on the other side of Elizabeth.

Elizabeth leaned close to him. "Not hiding. Observing," she said.

Bill smiled. "You know Mounties are trained in that," he said, quietly.

Nathan laughed softly. "Elizabeth needs no training in observation. She's a natural."

Just then, Rosemary came around the corner. From the stories Elizabeth had heard from her all week long, she expected Bill to pop up and run away, but he sat calmly, waiting for her to join them.

In fact, he stood and put his hand out to her. "Rosemary. I would just like to say that I haven't been a very good citizen lately." He puffed himself up a little. "I would like to remedy that right now." Raising his chin, he said, "I assume you have something important that you'd like to ask me?"

Rosemary frowned. "Why, whatever do you mean?" She batted her eyelashes at him innocently.

Bill nodded and smiled at her. "No, really, it's alright. You can ask me."

Giving him her best ingenue look, Rosemary said, "Bill, honestly, I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about."

Now Bill was getting impatient. "Look. Everyone in town has told me you've been looking for me. I had to hide under my desk when..."

Rosemary frowned. "You were _under the desk?"_ she said, incredulous.

Bill took a deep breath and said, "Yes, but I've reconsidered," he said, "I feel like it's my civic duty, and well, I don't suppose it would be _too_ bad. And I _am_ a leader in the community..."

Just then, Archie came around the corner in full Santa mode. The suit was perfect once Rosemary had rolled up the sleeves and trousers. "Ho, ho, ho," he said, holding the pillow in front of him. Most of the room turned around and smiled.

Bill stood with his mouth open. Rosemary tilted her head at him and put her arm around Archie. "You were saying, Bill? What was it you wanted to do?"

Frowning, Bill harrumphed. He stood for a moment, staring from Rosemary to Archie, and then said curtly, "Never mind," and went to find the cider.

Elizabeth made a face at Rosemary, to which she said, "No, I will _not_ feel guilty. I have chased that man all over Hope Valley for a week." She shook her head. "Under his _desk!_ Can you imagine? Afraid of _little ole me?"_ she said, giggling.

Nathan was staring at Archie, slightly speechless. "Dad?" he said, and Archie turned to him and said in his jolliest Santa voice, "Yes, son?"

Nathan shook his head slowly. "I can honestly say this is something I never thought I'd see." Nodding, he said, "You look great."

Rosemary held Archie at arm's length. "He does, doesn't he?" she said proudly.

Lee walked over and took one look at Archie and gave him a bear hug.

"Archie? May I say? You have made the men of Hope Valley very happy tonight."


	97. Chapter 97

Gustav had outdone himself.

Jack's birthday cake was designed to serve the forty or so guests at the Coulter's, so it was impressive in its size, and of course, it was also delicious. But the main feature on top was a blonde little boy, and what had Jack grinning as Nathan held him carefully over the cake was that the little boy was dressed as a Mountie.

Gustav and Julie were in the middle of a correspondence course that they were hoping would assist them with parties at Le Bistro, on the use of fondant in decorating cakes. Jack's second birthday celebration was the first gathering where they'd had a chance to test out their new skills.

Because of his love of Mounties, bright red always drew Jack's eye, and now he was also very attuned to the shape of the red serge jacket as well. He looked down, gazed up at Nathan, and then pointed to the cake and said "Jack. Mountie."

If it was possible for an entire room to say "_awwww"_ at the same time, then that's what happened. They sang Happy Birthday and Jack blew out the two candles with the help of Elizabeth and Allie.

Elizabeth didn't want all the people coming to Rosemary and Lee's to feel like they had to bring gifts for Jack, and when some insisted, she'd asked them to donate a book to the Library instead. Jack was such a loved little boy in Hope Valley that he had all the toys and clothes he needed already. The family celebration with their gifts for Jack would happen right after this party, back at the Grant farm.

"Julie," Elizabeth said as they cut the cake and loaded up plates to be passed out, "This cake is _so_ beautiful. Did you see Jack's face? I can't imagine how long it took you and Gustav to create this masterpiece."

Julie winked at her, and Elizabeth laughed, shaking her head. "Yes, I know," Elizabeth said, and then Julie said with her, "It's also good advertising."

Julie nodded, her eyes excited. "You know how much I love little Jack. I'm his _godmother,_ and of course I'm happy to do it. But I don't want you to worry about how much work this was, because it never hurts to show the town what we can do." She leaned in and whispered to Elizabeth. "I've already had some requests for birthday cakes, and one for an anniversary."

Elizabeth smiled, proud of her sister. "I'm glad you're doing so well, Julie. I've heard nothing but good things about the restaurant. And even Bill has said it doesn't cut into his business. So it sounds like everyone wins."

Julie said softly, "Bill has had dinner with us a few times. And he said the same thing, that each restaurant has its own place in the town."

They were continuing to push plates of cake down the table to Carson and Faith, who handed them out to the waiting line of guests. Stella made a point of coming around the table to Julie. "This is amazing!"

Julie beamed. "Thank you!" Then she leaned over and said, "And I want to make sure we continue the conversation we were having on the walk over here. Wednesday morning? You'll stop by?"

Grinning, Stella said, "I would love to. Can't wait to see your restaurant," she said happily, turning away to the living room with two plates in her hands.

Watching Stella walk away, Elizabeth smiled. "You're thinking of hiring her?"

"Yes," Julie said, nodding. "She'll need a little extra training. Diners are great practice, but there's another layer of service she'll need to learn. Stella has a lot of potential, and the _perfect_ personality." Julie set out more plates for Elizabeth to fill. "Do you really think they'll stay?"

Elizabeth smiled. "It's going to break Allie's heart if they don't," she said. She looked around the room for a moment and then found Jessie and Allie sitting on the floor near the fireplace with Jack, Violet, and Anna. "Yep, just like 'two peas in a pod' as Archie says."

They continued to cut the cake and fill plates as they talked. Julie looked at the beautiful peach silk dress Elizabeth was wearing and nodded. "You're very lucky to have a best friend who sews as exquisitely as Rosemary." Raising her eyebrows at the considerable rise in Elizabeth's tummy, she added, laughing, "I'll bet _that's_ a moving target."

Elizabeth laughed too and shook her head. "It is!" I'm over here _often_ so she can keep my hems down in front."

Handing her more plates, Julie said, "When was the last time you talked to Mother?"

"Last night," Elizabeth said. "She's having a hard time with the uncertainty of when we're arriving in Hamilton." Elizabeth laughed ruefully. "I keep telling her that we can't put these two on a schedule, and it has to be flexible."

Julie nodded and said, "I'm saying the same thing, so we're coming at her from both sides." Raising her eyebrows, Julie said, "And did she tell you Viola and Lionel are going to be visiting at the same time we're there?" Frowning, Julie said, "It seems _quite_ the coincidence. I'm wondering if Mother is purposefully bringing in reinforcements."

Elizabeth nodded. "She told me the same thing." Raising her chin, Elizabeth said, "I'm still determined to patch all this up somehow and get them all here to visit. How can they support the life we've chosen if they've never seen it?"

"I couldn't agree more." Julie sighed and gave her sister a big smile. "And I know you said that Nathan can take care of himself, but I'll do everything I can to protect him from Father. Your sweet husband will have enough on his mind without having to defend his choice of profession." Looking determined, Julie said, "And that goes for Lucas as well."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "I know they'll also protect each other. I love that Lucas and Nathan are becoming good friends, and a lot of that has to do with you, Julie. Now that they're concentrating on what they have in common..."

Julie raised one eyebrow and lowered her voice. "...Which is _not_ you," she said, laughing softly.

Elizabeth frowned slightly, looking over at her sister. She spoke softly as well, though there was no one nearby to hear. "Does it bother you, Julie? About Lucas?"

Laughing, Julie said, "Oh, goodness, no. We've talked at length about it. Lucas can see so clearly how _right_ you and Nathan are together, and as far as his former leanings toward you, well, he says it had to do with the same things that attracted him to me. And with _me,_ it's so much more." Julie tilted her head at Elizabeth. "So, I suppose Lucas knew he wanted a Thatcher girl, he just had to find the right one."

Elizabeth sighed and looked softly at her. "I love you so much, Julie. And I'm so glad you're living here now."

Julie looked at Elizabeth, and though they both had cake on their fingers and Elizabeth had a knife, Julie hugged her tightly. "And I love the wonderful family you've found here, sister. So much joy."

Elizabeth laughed, trying not to get covered in frosting. "And you and Lucas seem to be still blissfully courting. Do you see it going the direction we all hope it will?"

Julie sighed deeply. "That man. _So_ surprising. I love him more than I could ever imagine was possible for me. I don't feel at _all_ like running away..." she said, her eyes sparkling, "...the way I always have before."

With his usual perfect timing, Lucas came up behind Julie and put his arm around her shoulder. "What's this about running away?" he said, leaning down and kissing her on the cheek.

"I was just telling Elizabeth that she doesn't need to worry about me getting on the next train out of Hope Valley." Julie turned around and snuggled in under Lucas' arm. "I have something... some_one_ very compelling, keeping me here."

"Good to know," Lucas said softly, brushing his lips across her curls. "But I do need to take you away for a moment. Wilma Lawson wants to talk to you about a birthday cake and she has some remarkably ambitious ideas."

Julie brightened and wiped her hands on a nearby napkin. "I simply _love_ ambitious ideas!"

"I do know that about you," Lucas said, smiling at her. He looked at Elizabeth. "May I steal her away?"

Elizabeth smiled. "You may." As they walked away, Elizabeth turned back to the cake and started to fill a few more plates, but it looked as if the demand had abated drastically. Looking around the room, it seemed everyone already had what they needed.

She felt Nathan come up behind her and he put his chin on her shoulder so he could whisper in her ear. "You've been standing here for a long time. Do you want me to take over?"

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "That would be nice, but there's one thing I have to do first." She turned around and looked at him, stifling a giggle. She really didn't think she could stop herself.

"What's that?" Nathan said.

Elizabeth lifted her finger, covered in frosting, right in front of his nose, and held it there for a moment.

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "You wouldn't," he said with a warning in his eyes.

Elizabeth just looked at him and fluttered her eyelashes. "I think I _have_ to," she said softly.

Nathan was too fast for her. He leaned down and before she knew it, he had eaten the frosting off of her finger. Unfortunately, he hadn't counted on her other hand being just as messy. Before he could react, she'd lifted it and run a sugary line down his nose.

"You did it," he said, giving her exactly the same look he'd given her on that night she'd saved his life at Allie's sleepover.

Elizabeth giggled, and then they both looked across the table. Anna, Allie and Jessie were standing there, getting another piece of cake. Anna and Allie were smiling, shaking their heads, and Jessie was looking slightly perplexed. Allie said to Jessie, "Let's go sit down, we'll explain it to you..."

Nathan and Elizabeth looked back at each other, and Elizabeth picked up a napkin and very slowly and gently wiped the frosting off. She gazed into his eyes, which were very blue. He put his arms around her waist and said softly, "So, after this, Jack's party at our house, and then the candlelight service at church, and then what? When do I get you alone?"

Elizabeth looked down and laughed softly. "In case you hadn't noticed, my love, we're never _really_ alone anymore."

Nathan laughed. "True," he said. He nuzzled her hair, keeping an eye on the crowd to be sure they weren't making a spectacle of themselves. Everyone was laughing and talking in small groups away from the table. No one was watching.

"But I would like you to meet me at the swing after church, because we'll have celebrated Christmas eve with the town, and Jack's birthday with the family, but I have something I want to celebrate just with you," Nathan said, softly.

Elizabeth couldn't stop looking at his eyes. They were so blue she thought she might just fall into them. "And what is it that we're celebrating, just us?"

"We're celebrating my wife. The bravest and strongest woman I know, who on this night two years ago brought a new life into this world in a cabin in a blizzard. With only two friends, melted snow and torn petticoats to help her." He held her close and said into her ear, "You're an extraordinary person, Elizabeth, and I thank God I get to spend my life with you."

They held each other, not caring anymore if anyone was watching. They were between the window and the table and it was half-light. They made a pretense of looking out of the window, but in truth, though no one could see, their eyes were closed.

Right now, from across the room, there were two sets of eyes on Nathan and Elizabeth. Stella sat next to Hickam, and she sighed softly. Mike nodded, and from next to her she heard, "They're something, aren't they?"

Stella looked over at him. "You've known them from the beginning, haven't you? Did you know Jack Thornton too?"

Still looking at Elizabeth and Nathan, Mike said, "Yes. Fairly well."

Looking back over at the cake table, Stella said softly, almost to herself, "It gives me hope that second chances are possible." Suddenly she looked over at Mike and he was staring at her. She realized what she'd just said and looked away, flustered. "You know, it's just nice to see people happy..."

Mike nodded again, a little too fast. "Yes! It is always good to... see..." He trailed off and looked right at Stella. He was thinking that she was very pretty, and on the heels of that thought, he wondered why she was talking to _him._ They'd had just a few words together earlier in the evening, but Mike figured that meant she'd gotten her fill of his usual awkwardness and wouldn't be coming back for more. Yet here she was.

Stella raised her eyebrows. Mike looked like he was just about to say something else, but it was a long time coming. She just smiled, waiting for him to speak again. He had an endearing shyness, but then he seemed to be able to hold her gaze forever without any seeming nervousness, as he was doing now. Finally, he spoke.

"So, Spruce Grove, huh?" Mike said. Not the most scintillating of conversation starters, but he was feeling proud he'd managed to say anything at all.

"Yes," Stella said, amused by his quirkiness. "It's just outside of Edmonton. The diner gets a lot of travelers from the city. So it's a medium-sized town with a big city feel to it." Mike was looking at her as if what she'd just said was the most interesting thing in the world.

"And where are you from? Originally?" Stella asked him, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious.

"Originally?" Mike said, his eyebrows going up. "Well, I grew up in Quebec City and came out here after I finished school."

"Quebec City?" Stella said, surprised. "This must have been quite a change, then." She looked out at the party and then turned back to him. "So, if you had the chance to do it over again, would you still come to Hope Valley from the big city?"

Mike took a deep breath. He honestly couldn't remember a woman being this interested in what he had to say, which was more than a little disconcerting. And when that was added to her deep, sable brown eyes, it sort of made him keep losing his train of thought.

Finally, he found his voice. "I love it here." No matter what color her eyes were, this was an easy question to answer. "There's no doubt I would choose Hope Valley again."

"Why?" Stella asked.

Mike shrugged. "Oh, I don't know, a million things. The people. I enjoy my job. It's good to be part of something that I value...I guess it's just a pretty nice place to live." He smiled at her. This was now definitely the longest conversation he'd had with a woman in a very long time. Stella smiled back, which made him brave. "Why do you ask? Are you thinking of moving here?"

Stella gazed at him from under her lashes for a long moment. "The thought has crossed my mind."

_Oh, my gosh, is she flirting with me?_ Once that bombshell hit him in the stomach, it took him just a moment to catch his breath. She didn't seem to mind that he just kept looking at her, but he really needed to speak. And soon.

"When's your ticket back?" Mike asked. Not brilliant, but at least he was moving the conversation forward. And he suddenly had a great deal of interest in her answer.

Stella grinned. "Don't have one yet," she said, raising her eyebrows and shrugging.

Mike smiled shyly back at her. Then he got really _very_ brave and looked down at his shoes, saying, "Well, that's good."

Stella looked over at him and thought he had a very nice smile. Then even she got a little shy. She took a deep breath and looked down at her own shoes.

Stella had plenty of reasons to want to move to Hope Valley. But she thought Mike Hickam might have just given her one more.


	98. Chapter 98

Jack _loved_ his birthday train set.

Allie and Jessie were now on the floor with him next to the Christmas tree after having helped him set up the tracks and place the cars. Allie was explaining how the engine goes first and showed him how to hook each of the cars together.

Jack had taken to the idea immediately, and was now using his blocks and horses to set up elaborate farms around the tracks. Riding the train to and from Airdrie had obviously made quite an impression on him.

Elizabeth smiled at Nathan as they stood and watched, their arms linked. "Well, I'd say that present was a big hit," she said, looking up at him.

Nathan laughed. "I think we need a bigger living room." It was becoming clear that the path to the front door would soon disappear under tracks and farmlands. And Allie and Jessie were enjoying it as much as Jack.

"You know, we have that long sunroom," Elizabeth said. "We just need another stove to keep the far end warm..."

Nathan looked at her, his eyes narrowed. "Which means breaking through the roof with another chimney. Renovations? Already?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Life is a process of constant change, my love. Keep up, or get left behind."

Nathan whispered, "I was kind of hoping to hold that space out for extra bedrooms."

Elizabeth's mouth opened wide, "Can we please get these two born before we start talking about more? I'm really looking forward to being able to see my feet for a while!"

Laughing, Nathan looked down. "They're very pretty feet."

There was a burst of laughter from the harvest table where Julie, Lucas, Stella and Archie were sitting having last bites of a second piece of cake. A large portion of the leftovers had been forced on the Grant household by Rosemary as she'd said, "Don't you _dare_ leave all that here! I have a New Year's Eve dress to get into, and that cake is _not_ the way to do it!"

What had caused the laughing was a story that Lucas was telling, and Julie was adding to, about a practical joke they'd played for weeks on Gustav, who took his cooking _very_ seriously. "So every time Gustav would move it back, we had Landon put the paprika into the icebox..." Another burst of laughter.

Allie stood up from the trains and went over to the table. "Aunt Julie, can you come with me to the tree?" Then she took Elizabeth's hand, "Mom?"

Everyone went quiet, and Allie said, "Last Christmas, before we were a family, and when Mom was Mrs. Thornton..." she looked at Elizabeth and smiled, "...you told me one of your Christmas traditions when you and Aunt Julie were growing up."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, trying to remember.

Allie continued, "You said that when you were little girls, your parents would hide a brand new Christmas ornament somewhere on the tree and then you had to find it."

Julie's eyes went wide and she clapped. "I remember that game! There were times we almost knocked the tree down trying to see which one was new!"

Allie grinned. "Well..." she turned toward the tree with her eyebrows raised.

Elizabeth and Julie smiled and looked at each other with a challenge in their eyes, and everyone in the room could see the competitive little girls they had once been. Julie frowned and looked at Allie, "But wait, how can I know which one is new? We knew our ornaments so well as children..."

Allie nodded. "Oh, you'll know." She looked at Nathan and he grinned back at her. "Just think about how this Christmas is different from last year. Ready?"

Julie and Elizabeth both looked as if they were about to start a footrace. They were laughing, each daring the other as they had when they were children.

"Go!"

Even Jack stopped playing with his trains at the sight of his mother and his aunt laughing and running like children around the tree. They started at the front, and this was clearly a very precise process they'd followed for years, up and down, around, looking at each one, deciding and moving on.

Finally, with much laughter from the spectators, Julie and Elizabeth ended up at the back of the tree, low and up against the windows. At the same time, they put their hands on a wooden ornament of a family.

Burned very precisely into the wood was the name _The Grants,_ and the silhouette of each tiny outlined person had a name, _Dad, Mom, Allie, Jack, Grandpa._

"Got it!" Elizabeth and Julie yelled out at the exact same moment. They laughed and hugged each other, remembering so many Christmases together. And then they sought out Allie, who was delighted with how successful the game had been.

"I love you, Allie," Elizabeth said, hugging her. "This was so sweet of you to remember."

Julie did the same. "The best little niece ever!"

Elizabeth still held the wooden ornament in her hand, and she held it up. She looked at Nathan with her eyebrows raised. "Somehow, I have a feeling you were part of this, too," she said, still out of breath.

Nathan smiled and put his arm around Allie. "It was a joint project," he said, kissing Allie on the head. He looked at her. "We had fun, didn't we?"

Stella had been watching and laughing as the competition went on, and now she walked over to Elizabeth. She raised her voice so everyone could hear. "Well, since everyone's attention is here, I have a little announcement to make." She put her arm out for Jessie to stand next to her.

"We're staying," she said simply. "I know this isn't a big surprise. There are just too many reasons, and it feels right."

Julie immediately hugged her and said, "Welcome to Hope Valley!" Then she winked and said, "And to Le Bistro."

Stella grinned. "Wow. A move and a job." She made a face. "Now, where do we live?"

Hugging her even more tightly, Julie said, "That's easy. Rosemary and Lee's place is still available, and since Gowen Petroleum manages the row houses, your new landlord would be..."

"Me," Lucas said, walking over to Stella. He put out his hand formally and said, "It's yours if you want it."

Stella smiled and shook his hand. "I want it."

Julie squealed in delight. "And we're next door neighbors!"

So much had happened so fast that Elizabeth's head was spinning a little. But in such a good way. She walked over to Nathan and put her arm around him.

He gazed down at her, his eyes soft. "I've never known anyone with a heart as big as yours, Elizabeth." Nathan held her tightly. "You're just gathering your little chicks around you, aren't you?" he whispered, grinning.

She smiled up at him happily. "I must admit our family is growing." She looked down, laughing. "And not only in the traditional way."

She was silent for a moment, looking at the happy scene in front of her. Then she sighed and said, "We need to get ready for the candlelight service at the church in about an hour." She arched her back, pressing her hand where an ache was beginning. "But I wouldn't mind resting a little."

Nathan smiled. "I know just the place." He looked over at Julie, Lucas and Stella. "Do you mind watching Jack for a bit, and taking over hosting duties?" He inclined his head toward the sunroom. "We're going to sit down for a while."

Lucas smiled. "No problem whatsoever. You go ahead."

Once they were alone on the swing, Elizabeth cuddled down into Nathan's chest. "You said earlier that you had something to tell me?"

He stroked her hair and spoke very softly. "I've been thinking that with all the preparations for Jack's birthday, there was someone we were forgetting. Someone who had more to do with his birthday than perhaps even little Jack."

Elizabeth sat up and looked at him. "Well, it _was_ somewhat of a group effort. Abigail and Rosemary of course, and then Carson, and Lee and Bill..."

Nathan put his finger up to her mouth. His eyes were very soft on her. "Elizabeth. Why do you always forget to think of yourself?"

She was very quiet, and not just because his finger was still warm on her lips. Slowly, a smile spread across her face. "I guess I was there too," she said sheepishly.

Nathan smiled. "I guess you were." He quickly touched his lips to hers. "So, I wanted to make you a promise that for the rest of our lives, this day will not only be Jack's birthday. I will also remember that you're the one who brought him into the world."

Elizabeth knew it was late, and she knew she was generally emotional these days, but the feeling that went through her was more than that. As the tears filled her eyes, she realized that this kind of deep appreciation from another person didn't just happen every day.

Nathan smiled. "But I didn't mean to make you cry," he said quickly. He kissed each cheek, tasting the salt of her tears there. "It was supposed to make you happy."

Laughing softly, Elizabeth said, "I _am_ happy. That's why I'm crying."

Nathan shook his head and pulled her tightly into an embrace. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to figure this crying thing out. When it's happy and when it's sad." He kissed her hair gently. "So, when we're eighty or so, ask me if I ever did, okay?"

Elizabeth nodded against his shoulder. "I'll try to remember that," she said. "But don't count on it." Pulling away and looking him in the eyes, she said, smiling, "Especially when I'm pregnant. With twins."

Nathan took the sleeve of his shirt and tenderly wiped the rest of her tears away. When he'd finished, Elizabeth put her hand on his face and said, "Thank you. The reason I was crying is that what you said was so kind and no one has ever said that to me before." She took a deep breath and exhaled. Placing her hands on her stomach, she said, "It's such an indescribable blessing. But yes, it's also hard. I don't even know how to explain how my body is changing, and believe me, you don't want to know all of it!"

Nathan smiled. "I can't even imagine. And I hope you know you can tell me anything, or ask for my help, or just complain if you want to. Whenever you want to."

Elizabeth sighed and ran her fingers through his hair tenderly. "Where did I find you?"

Nathan gave her his crooked smile. "In the Mountie office, sitting at my desk, not knowing how my life was about to change."

She snuggled back down into his chest, "Mine, too," she said softly.

They sat that way for a long time. Elizabeth could hear Nathan's heart beating steadily and surely under her ear. She held tight to him, feeling how good and solid he was. Every time she had her arms around him she felt this way. From that very first time.

Elizabeth thought about that day often, especially when she held Nathan like this. She'd been so afraid that she would never have a chance to hold him, so when she found herself there, she never wanted to let go. And now, even today, that feeling could come back to her in a flash of memory, so easily.

She still couldn't describe the intensity of the comfort she felt with her heart against his, of knowing things were forever changed, that she was no longer alone in navigating life, and the simple, uncomplicated feeling of ease against his warm chest in the cold street that day.

They may have had some rocky times, but they'd never really looked back from that moment. And as she held Nathan now, married, in their own house with Allie and Jack and Archie, their lives finally sealed together by God and their deep and enduring love for each other, the gratitude Elizabeth felt was overwhelming.

Her eyes filled again, but she was so silent that Nathan didn't notice until he felt the warmth of her tears make their way through his shirt to his skin. He held her head and looked down, trying to find her eyes. She sniffled, and said, "It's okay. Happy tears."

Nathan exhaled. "What are you thinking about?" he asked softly. "That made you happy?"

"That day in the street. You said your life changed when I first walked into your office, and mine did too. But that day..." She looked up at him, her eyes full. "...that day, _everything_ changed."

"I know," he said softly. He sighed, pulling her closer. "It felt so good to have you in my arms, finally." He felt her laugh softly, and he said, "And _not_ just for the obvious reasons. Yes, you felt unbelievably good, and I'd imagined it so many times... but there was something much more than that."

Nodding on his chest, Elizabeth said, "Yes. It was like... being home."

Nathan looked quickly down at her. "Yes," he said. "I haven't been able to put that into words, but that's exactly what it was. Like the times I've had to go out of town and I catch sight of the water tower, and then the house, and then... _you. _Home."

Smiling, Elizabeth said against his chest, "How long did we stand there?"

She felt his chest rise and fall in a chuckle. "I have _no _idea." He kissed the top of her head. "A month?"

She laughed. "I kind of lost track of time, too."

Nathan took a deep breath. "I've thought about that a lot. I was hurting so badly about Murdock, and if you had come up and _asked_ me if you could hug me, I would have said no. I didn't feel like I could let anything inside that bubble that was all that was holding me together."

Elizabeth sat up and looked at him. "And yet, you walked right toward me."

Nathan frowned. "I knew... I knew somehow that you thought it was _me_ in that wagon. And I didn't want you to worry. So I was coming to tell you that I was okay."

Now Elizabeth was very curious. She sat up further so that she could face Nathan. "And what was your expectation about how I would react when I saw you?"

Nathan shrugged. "Relief? The natural relief of a friend who worried they might have lost a good friend."

"A hug?" she asked. "Would you have expected that?"

Thinking, Nathan said, "Maybe. Yes." Then he looked at Elizabeth with a crooked smile. "But not _that_ kind of hug. That was more like a... a romantic _assault."_

Elizabeth laughed out loud. "Oh, that's a good way to phrase it," she said. "Actually, it was me thinking I'd lost you forever and suddenly knowing the size of the hole you left." She shook her head, remembering. "When I saw your red serge...and then looked up to see it was _you_..." Sighing, she sat back. "I never intended to fall this deeply in love again, Nathan. I was purposely holding back my heart from you. What is it you say?" She said, looking up at him.

He smiled tenderly. "What you love, you can lose."

"Yes," she said, nodding.

Nathan put his finger under her chin. "And here we are, both of us, with everything in the world to lose." He leaned over and kissed her. "So how is it that I'm happier and more peaceful than I've ever been?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Don't ask me! I'm as mystified as you are." She smiled at him and moved a curl from his forehead.

"But let's not stop, okay?" She said, leaning up to kiss him.

He didn't need to answer her.


	99. Chapter 99

Christmas day dawned bright and beautiful with Chester the rooster crowing at the very first hint of light on the horizon. It was one of those winter days that you remember from your childhood, with the sun sparkling like diamonds on the snow and the sky a shade of blue that takes your breath away.

The Grant farm was bustling early, because the chickens and the horses and Lizzie the cow didn't know it was Christmas. To them it was just like any other day, with eggs to be discovered by Jack and Charlie, milk to be collected by Allie and Jessie, and stalls to freshen by Archie. Elizabeth, Stella and Rebecca took charge of the farm breakfast while chores were being completed.

When they were finished cooking, the harvest table was fairly groaning under the sheer weight of the scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, potatoes, freshly-baked bread with Allie's butter, three types of jam, coffee, tea, and the _piece de resistance,_ chocolate croissants courtesy of Gustav, carried hot and fresh out of the oven across the meadow by Julie and Lucas.

After the chores were done, everyone gathered, joined hands, and gave thanks to God for the glorious and blessed day they were sharing, and the abundance of the table before them. The usual urgency of children on Christmas morning was eased by the fact that Jack had still not tired of his train set, and Allie and Jessie felt themselves far too grown up to need to rip into packages just as the sun came up.

So family and friends sat around the table sharing memories of Christmases past and counted their present blessings. Then, when breakfast was done and dishes put away, they finally sat down around the tree to discover what was under it.

Allie and Nathan's Christmas morning ritual of finding out who could catch the bigger fish was postponed slightly to the afternoon, and their circle was widened to include Archie and Jessie. For eight years Nathan and Allie had enjoyed the time together alone, but their lives were bursting at the seams with new family and friends, and they happily stretched the boundaries of the ritual.

But not until after gifts were given. Allie and Jack had been awarded the duties of Santa Claus, so as Allie pulled a gift from under the tree, she whispered a name to Jack, and if he could carry it, he would run happily and deliver the present to the lucky recipient.

There were too many people in the house for gifts to be opened one at a time, so as Jessie sat with Stella and they opened theirs, Lucas and Julie did the same. Charlie and Rebecca exchanged gifts, and Nathan, Allie, Elizabeth, Jack and Archie sat around their own treasures.

Allie went first for the small box she'd been eyeing for days. This morning, she had purposely worn the gift that Nathan had given her last year, her charm bracelet. It still held only the small book and the fly that had been attached when she'd opened it with Nathan in their small row house last Christmas.

Elizabeth remembered very well when she'd first seen the bracelet as Ned delivered it to Nathan at the Mercantile. The meaning of the small silver book that Nathan held up was clear, but Elizabeth couldn't quite understand why there was a shiny silver insect attached to the bracelet. Nathan told her, "It's a fly. For fishing." Elizabeth had laughed. "Well, that's perfect for Allie," she'd said.

For a moment, Allie held the box to her heart, remembering how different things were this year from last, and especially from the years before. She knew that Nathan had always done the very best he could to make things special for her – but when she compared the last three years, it was hard to believe how much had changed. Two years ago, Christmas day was spent in a mess hall full of Mounties and had consisted of long, boring speeches at Fort Simpson. Last year, they were finally in Hope Valley surrounded by friends and new possibilities, but their Christmas morning was just the two of them. This year in their new house, Allie was surrounded by a mother and father, a grandmother and grandfather, an aunt, a brother and two more siblings on the way.

Allie had yearned so for family, and as she looked around her, the sudden awareness of the abundance in her life took her thirteen-year-old heart by surprise.

Elizabeth tilted her head at Allie and smiled. "You okay?" she asked, seeing the slight trace of tears in Allie's eyes as she held the box to her heart.

Allie nodded, smiling. "I'm happy," she said simply.

Nathan, who was sitting next to Elizabeth, said softly, "Happy tears... noted." Elizabeth laughed quietly and hugged his arm next to her.

"Open it," she said to Allie. Both Elizabeth and Nathan had noticed that Allie was wearing her bracelet this morning. After her chores, she'd gone straight to her little jewelry box and had put it on because she knew, or hoped she knew, what was coming. Those two little charms from last year dangled alone, and like Allie's life, her bracelet was about to get much more crowded.

Nathan and Elizabeth had been working toward this moment for a while with Kevin the blacksmith.

Kevin had actually altered his sign in front of the livery. It now said "Blacksmithing" in large letters, and under that sign hung a new banner, "Fine Jewelry Custom Made and Repaired." Elizabeth had remembered that Kevin had resized her engagement and wedding rings, and he had since expanded his business. He worked in silver, gold and brass, and even did some design work with gems. It was with Fiona's encouragement that Kevin found a way to turn his much-loved hobby into a business opportunity.

After all, Fiona and Kevin had found each other through her need for what she called "doohickeys," to help with the reception on the telephone system. It had required the crafting of metal into a specific shape, and he'd done such a good job that Fiona had helped him to strategize about how he could expand his jewelry-making operations.

So about a month ago, Elizabeth and Nathan had gone to Kevin to ask him to create some unique charms for Allie's bracelet. By using a bright light and tracing paper, Kevin had created silhouettes of Nathan, Elizabeth, Archie, and Jack. Fiona had managed to get Allie in on the pretense that they needed a generic face for Kevin's jewelry. Allie had thought it was fun, without knowing it would be used to fashion a small charm of her own face in profile. Kevin had created them out of silver and then had etched onto each one; _Dad, Mom, Grandpa, Jack, Allie._

When Allie opened the small box, she found not one charm, as she was expecting, but five. Nathan had his small pliers at hand, and one by one, he added the charms to Allie's bracelet. When he was done, Allie held up her wrist and wiggled it, laughing.

"It makes a sound now," she said happily. "Noisy. Like all of us." Allie jumped up between Nathan and Elizabeth and put an arm around each of them. "I love it. Thank you." When she stepped back, she looked at Elizabeth from under her eyebrows in her typical Allie way. "So, next year..."

Elizabeth laughed. "Yes, we'll get you two more," she said.

"And Grandma and Aunt Julie?" Allie said. She looked at Nathan and said, "I'm gonna need a bigger bracelet." Nathan laughed and hugged her. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Jumping back toward the tree, Allie pulled out something wrapped in brown paper and ribbon. She handed it to Elizabeth. "Now you," she said, beaming.

"Thank you, Allie," Elizabeth said, taking it. She pulled the bow out of the ribbon and unwrapped a small bound book with blank pages. But what made the tears come to Elizabeth's eyes was the cover. Wildflowers that Elizabeth recognized from the meadow in front of their house had been pressed flat so they still held their yellow and green colors brightly. They had been glued carefully to the front of the book, spelling out MOM.

"Allie," Elizabeth said very softly, looking at it while she moved her fingertips tenderly over the flowers in the lettering.

"It's for your writing. I know sometimes, when Jack is sleeping you don't want to wake him up with the typewriter, so you write by hand. You can use this, right?" Her eyes were wide, and Elizabeth saw a raw need there for reassurance that the gift was a good one.

Elizabeth reached out and pulled Allie to her, hugging her tightly. "It's perfect, Allie." She pulled away and looked into her sweet girl's eyes. "You're perfect. Thank you."

Allie released a breath and grinned. "Good. I hoped you'd like it."

"I love it," Elizabeth said. Then she kissed Allie on the cheek. "I love you."

Elizabeth looked over at Nathan and pointed to her eyes. "Happy tears," she said softly.

Nathan smiled and put his arm around her. He pulled her to him and said, "Got it. But that was an easy one."

Nathan then opened the package that Allie gave him. It was a box filled with small feathers, string, grasses and cattails that she had painstakingly gathered and dried over the spring and summer. Taking each piece out and turning it over in his hands, Nathan sighed and looked at her. "How did you get all these?"

Allie shrugged. "I looked for them," she said, gazing at him with bright eyes.

Elizabeth had a quizzical look on her face, and Nathan said softly, "For tying flies. For fishing." He folded a few of the long pliable blades of dried grass and wrapped the string around to show her. "It's why they call them flies. They look like insects and the fish come up to the surface to eat them." Nathan leaned over and pulled Allie into a bear hug. "Love you, Allie. This is the best present ever."

Then Nathan looked over at Elizabeth and she could see his eyes were glistening. She tilted her head and smiled.

"Happy," he whispered, as Allie ran to get more packages to distribute.

Nathan and Elizabeth had spoken earlier in the month about their own presents to each other. They'd decided that they already had everything they needed, and that they didn't need more _things_. In truth, their gift-giving was already a year-round activity that hinged on what they needed and when they needed it.

Their happiness was so complete, their love on such bedrock, and their gratitude so all-encompassing, that Nathan and Elizabeth decided that at Christmas, they wanted to give to others.

So, they'd made a pact that instead of giving gifts to each other, they would give away their love. Anonymously, quietly, telling only each other on Christmas day what they'd done. It might involve helping someone who needed assistance or paying for something someone needed. But it couldn't be told to anyone but themselves.

This is what they would do each year for Christmas. And this was their first Christmas. And now was the time for them to tell each other what they'd done.

Elizabeth leaned in closely and said, softly but excitedly, "You know the Sutherlands, with John's accident, were very short this year for gifts for the children. Esther loves the books of the Brontë sisters, and she's checked them out of the library so many times that no one else has been able to touch them for months." Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, and took a deep breath. "I got her _Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall_ and _Jane Eyre_ and had them shipped directly to the Mercantile with only a note to put it under the tree for Esther. I saw the shelf was empty yesterday, which means John picked it up."

Nathan laughed softly and kissed her. "You're so excited about this, it's like you just opened a present yourself, Elizabeth."

"I did!" she said, throwing her arms around him. "It makes me so happy that she'll have those books to read any time she wants them. Books are so important." Her eyes danced. "Now you!"

Nathan smiled, his own excitement showing. "Well, Bill and I were talking one day, and I was wondering if he had any photos of himself in the red serge. He told me that there was one taken of him, a daguerreotype that he'd had for years but had misplaced somewhere in a move." Nathan frowned and exhaled softly. "I watched Bill as he got really quiet for a minute. He was looking out the window as if he was trying to find something out there that he'd lost."

Nathan brightened and said, "I got in touch with a friend at Headquarters and had them do some digging, and they found it. They've sent him a copy, just saying that they discovered it in their files and thought he might like it."

Elizabeth hugged him tightly. "Oh, I wish we could see his face when he opens that," she said happily.

Nathan nodded. "That's against the rules, isn't it? Anyway, I have a feeling it might end up in a frame on his bookshelf and we'll see it then."

Elizabeth took his face in her hands. "I love this. I don't ever want to do anything else for our Christmas presents to each other."

Nathan kissed her softly. "I agree. But that doesn't mean I won't give you things during the rest of the year, you know."

"I know," she said, "And I'll probably do the same for you. But I'll be thinking all year long about this, and about what to do next year. It's a way of keeping Christmas all the time."

After dinner, the family, which now included Stella and Jessie, Lucas and Julie, and Rebecca and Charlie, sat around the harvest table. Elizabeth had a new tradition she wanted to start.

Jack had fallen asleep on Nathan's chest, and rather than put him to bed, he indulged himself and left him there. It had been one of his greatest pleasures since he first held Jack as he slept. Allie and Jessie were enjoying their nearly grown up privilege of sitting with the adults in anticipation of their future among them.

A story Elizabeth had recently discovered was _The Gift of the Magi._ Its author, O. Henry, had died just as Elizabeth had arrived in Hope Valley in 1910. He'd not had an easy life, and in fact, he'd lived through something much like Archie had, spending time in prison after embezzling funds from the bank that employed him. He'd written many of his stories behind bars in order to help support his daughter.

This story was a Christmas tale of a young couple short on money but long on love for each other. Each had a prized possession. Della had long hair described as "rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters." Jim had a precious gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The short version of the already short story was that Della sold her hair to buy Jim a fob chain for his watch. And Jim sold his watch to buy the tortoise shell hair combs that Della had long admired in a shop window.

Elizabeth read the first few paragraphs of the short story, and then passed the book to Nathan, who continued. The story moved around the table, and most sitting there had never heard it. As it became clear what the young couple had done, there were sighs and a few tears. As it turned out, the final paragraph was read by Archie, the patriarch of a family he thought he had lost forever.

_"The magi, as you know, were wise men – wonderfully wise men – who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. They are the magi."_

There was silence around the table. Each person had their own story of love and sacrifice. Some had found their true and final love, some still searched, some had almost the whole of their life ahead of them. But in this warm house on the outskirts of Hope Valley, each could understand how a person could give up what they loved most dearly in order to make another truly happy on Christmas.

Without speaking, Elizabeth reached her hands out to Nathan on her left and Rebecca on her right, and hands moved quietly around the table until there was a closed circle.

Elizabeth spoke softly, looking around at those she most loved in the world. "When Nathan and I married, we did it inside a circle like this one. It symbolized God's love, which encircles everyone and everything, as it does here. We love you all, so much. Thank you for spending this Christmas with us." She looked at Nathan, whose eyes were soft on her and very blue.

Nathan looked from Elizabeth to each face in turn, and spoke softly so he wouldn't wake Jack on his chest. "A year ago, I had no idea what waited around the corner for me." Looking back at Elizabeth he said, "If you'd shown me this table, this room, this house, this family, I wouldn't have believed it."

Nathan took a deep breath and smiled, his eyebrows raised in wonder. "I guess what I'm trying to say is..." He laughed softly, and many at the table did as well, knowing that Nathan and speeches didn't always go easily together. "...don't stop dreaming, don't give up hope for the perfect life." He looked at Elizabeth, and then looked at Allie. He'd just remembered what she'd said last year when she'd found the perfect Christmas tree. "Don't settle for anything less."


	100. Chapter 100

Nathan and Elizabeth had some decisions to make.

On the day after Christmas, they went in to see Carson, as they did every week now. Elizabeth tried to hold her breath while Carson moved the stethoscope slowly and carefully across her abdomen.

"Two very separate heartbeats," he said softly, his head low and listening. "One here, and... here," he said, showing them spots on her left and right side. He looked up, grinning and raising his eyebrows. "Good _strong_ heartbeats." He nodded to Elizabeth. "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it," he said, taking the earpieces out of his ears.

Carson noticed that Nathan visibly relaxed after having been standing stiffly by the examining table. He held Elizabeth's hand in his and squeezed it lightly, exhaling.

She looked up at him and smiled. For a moment they simply looked at each other, and their thoughts blended. _What a miracle this is._

Then Elizabeth's smile blossomed and she turned to Carson. "So, what you're saying is that the combination of pickles, marshmallows and sardines isn't doing any harm?"

Nathan snorted and said under his breath, "Only to those who have to watch you eat them..."

Elizabeth's hand squeezed his quite a bit tighter.

"Ouch," Nathan said, grimacing.

Carson laughed softly. "Cravings are entirely normal. Your body is just telling you what it needs. "Pickles help with digestion, sardines have lots of vitamins and calcium, and marshmallows... well... do they make you happy?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Ridiculously."

Carson pulled up the cotton sheet and put away his stethoscope. "Happy is a good state of mind for you at this point."

Looking up at Nathan, Elizabeth wiggled her eyebrows. "Mmmm, marshmallows."

Nathan bent down as he lifted Elizabeth's hand and kissed it. "Whatever you want."

Carson smiled. "Wise words, Nathan." He turned to Elizabeth. "Still having mood swings?"

This time, both Elizabeth and Nathan snorted. "A few, occasionally, every five minutes," Elizabeth said.

Nathan shook his head. "No, not that bad." He looked at her, "You might get a little emotional now and then."

Elizabeth laughed. "Nathan. I found a double-yolk in one of Lucky's eggs and I cried for two hours." She turned to Carson. _"Sobbing_ crying."

Carson shrugged. "I can understand that. Things are... _amplified_ right now for you. Best to just roll with it, and know that it's absolutely normal." He looked up at Nathan. "And it sounds like your husband is supporting you well."

"He deserves the Victoria Cross. For bravery under fire," she said, laughing. "I can have a sharp tongue these days."

Nathan's eyes went soft as she looked up at him. He shook his head slowly and said, "Elizabeth. Your bad day is like most people's good ones."

As they continued to look at each other, Carson smiled. He was used to this little interlude. At some point in these examinations, they would lose themselves in each other. In truth, he loved to see it.

The first moment he'd put two and two together with Nathan and Elizabeth was at baby Jack's christening. He'd watched in wonder as Elizabeth easily handed her greatest treasure over to Nathan so she could answer a question for Rosemary across the room. And not only had Jack put his arms easily and naturally around Nathan's neck, but he'd giggled loudly at the faces Nathan made.

Carson had looked over at Elizabeth and seen how charmed she was. And he, like almost everyone in town, was happy to think she might not have to raise little Jack alone.

It was why Carson had specifically asked them to stand together at Clara and Jesse's wedding. He'd so often seen Elizabeth unsure, and Nathan unable to speak, and both of them were seemingly unaware of the perfect trajectory they were following into each other's hearts. Carson thought they might like to have a photograph of themselves, and maybe they would see what everyone else already knew.

And then, of course, when Nathan injured his leg, Carson saw all he needed to see about how enduring their love was. Elizabeth, without question, had saved Nathan's life. Carson had seen her absolutely distraught, but with pinpoint focus. She would allow for nothing but unconditional success - they would find Nathan and bring him home.

But the moment that no one could forget was right after Carson had jumped down from the transfer wagon. It was never easy for a doctor to feel for a pulse and not find it. Carson had barely processed that moment before he looked over and saw Elizabeth run into Nathan's arms. Bill was standing right next to him, and both of them had gone silent, watching, expecting at any second that Elizabeth would step away and both of them would return to their usual awkwardness with each other.

But she hadn't stepped away, and Nathan hadn't let go. Elizabeth held tight to him. Nathan was clearly upset about the loss of Murdock, but he held tight too, obviously finding comfort, finally, in Elizabeth's arms.

"Well, it's about time," Bill had said softly next to him. "And a good time for it," he added. "Nathan's going to blame himself, and she'll help him through it."

Carson had nodded and looked around. In the midst of a tragedy, there seemed to be this small spot of hope out there in the middle of the street and people were clinging to it as tightly as Elizabeth was holding Nathan.

Nathan had lost his sister. Elizabeth had lost Jack. Carson had also known the heartache of losing someone he loved, and with Faith, he knew the joy of opening up again. So yes, he was always glad to take a moment as they got lost in each other.

He watched now as Elizabeth and Nathan took a simultaneous deep breath, and as they turned to him, he nodded and knew they were ready to hear more.

"So, the good news is that you and the babies are very healthy," he started. He could see the caution come into both of their faces, waiting for the "but" that was surely to come.

Carson softened his voice and looked at Elizabeth. "They're growing fast. And those strong heartbeats mean your babies are strong." Carson looked up at Nathan, whose forehead was beginning to crease in a frown. Then he looked back at Elizabeth. "You're very healthy, but you're fairly small-boned, Elizabeth."

She was hardly breathing. "What are you saying, Carson?"

He took her hand. "I don't see how we do this without a Caesarian section. An operation, with ether. Instead of putting the babies at risk with a possibly difficult labor, we simply lift them out."

Nathan's voice was low and soft. "And in doing that, you put Elizabeth's life at risk."

Carson took a deep breath. "Her life is more at risk if we don't. The babies have their feet down, Nathan. It's possible they can turn, but there's not much room left in there for them to do that." He turned to Elizabeth. "You'll probably have a breech birth."

Nathan inhaled sharply, his voice ominous. "Like Sarah's."

Carson said, softly, "Yes." He put his hand on Nathan's arm. "But Elizabeth will be in a hospital, with the sterile equipment and anesthetic she needs, and the best doctors this country can offer. Sarah didn't have that, Nathan. It's a completely different situation."

Elizabeth's voice was almost a whisper. "Julie was born breech. In the hospital in Hamilton. No complications."

Nathan looked down and saw a tear slip down the side of Elizabeth's face. He bent down quickly, pulling a stool toward him to sit on, and he cupped her face with his hand. "Tell me what you're feeling, angel."

She just blurted it out without thinking. "More protective of them than I am of myself," she said, looking into his eyes.

Nathan used his thumb to wipe a tear from her cheek. He nodded, and Elizabeth could see his eyes were very blue.

"You take care of them, and I'll take care of you," he said, kissing her cheek tenderly.

Nathan stayed there by her head, and Carson could see a change in him. He was still Nathan the father and husband, but now there was another layer. He was the investigator, the protector. The Mountie.

"What do we need to do, Carson?" Nathan asked, his voice sure and even.

"We need to be near the hospital sooner rather than later," Carson said.

"How soon?" Nathan asked.

Carson paused and said, "In the next couple of weeks. Definitely no later than the end of January."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "So, they'll be born early." Another tear slipped down her cheek. "Carson. How early is _too_ early?"

"You both need to know that this is not at all uncommon with twins. Half of all twins are born early, up to a month early, which is what we're looking at here." He looked back and forth between them. "Early-onset labor is very common." Now he gazed directly at Elizabeth. "But if the babies haven't turned, labor is not going to be... helpful." He looked up at Nathan. "Which is why we want to be near the hospital."

Nathan was nodding, his mind working. "Bill has said I can leave whenever I need to. Dad is perfectly capable of caring for the farm and Allie."

Elizabeth felt strengthened by Nathan's steadiness. She said, "I didn't think I would need a substitute teacher until March, but since we're taking Jack with us, I'll ask Laura. She's told me she wants to become a teacher. She can shadow me at work until we leave, and Molly and Florence can help if she needs it. The challenge has always been who will watch Jack while she does that."

Nathan nodded. "We can all pull together for a few weeks. Me, Julie, Rosemary, Stella. And Dad, Jessie and Allie can help."

Carson smiled silently at both of them, in some awe. These two were a force of nature. Unstoppable. Given a challenge, they worked it through the same way they did everything else. Piece by piece. And together.

* * *

Hickam was trying not to eavesdrop, but in Abigail's, it wasn't easy. The place was just too small and it even echoed a little bit.

When Stella had come in for lunch with Julie, he'd smiled and waved at her. And the best part was that she'd done the same and seemed genuinely glad to see him. He'd already finished his lunch and really should get back to the office, but for some reason, he asked Clara for another cup of coffee. He'd regret that later, but he just couldn't think of another reason to stay.

"I was surprised you wanted to come here," Stella said to Julie, looking over the menu.

Julie smiled. "I try to come here once a week at least," she said, leaning in conspiratorially. "It never hurts to try out the competition, and goodwill can go a long way in a town this small."

"Makes sense," Stella said, nodding. Then, tilting her head, "I think I can learn a lot from you, Julie."

"Just keep your eyes and ears open. And watch Lucas, too. He is _so_ very good at what he does." Julie's eyes got soft, and Stella smiled.

"Everyone in this town is so in love," Stella said, shaking her head. "What's in that water tower anyway?" she said, narrowing her eyes.

Julie giggled. "I don't know. I actually fell for Lucas at the train station in Airdrie. All he had to do was open his mouth. And _bow."_ Julie did a good imitation of Lucas at his charming best. "Lucas Bouchard, at your service..."

Stella laughed. "Well, it's _my_ turn next," she said. And before she even knew she was doing it, she turned sideways and looked at Mike. And to make it worse, he was looking right at her.

They both turned their heads forward quickly. Hickam was alone at the table and Julie was looking at the menu, so for a moment, they both sat, waiting for their breath to return fully.

_Well, that was fast,_ Stella thought, surprised at her reaction to that little glance. She looked at the glass in front of her. _Maybe there really is something in the water._

"The chicken pot pie is remarkably good here," Julie said, having missed the interchange between Stella and Hickam completely. "And the rhubarb cobbler is to die for. If I could only steal that recipe from Bill..."

Stella got up the nerve to look over again, but this time, Mike was staring straight forward, looking as if he were made of stone. She smiled, wondering if his heart was beating like hers. She suspected it might be. She _knew_ something had passed between them on Christmas eve.

Stella liked his shyness, and at the same time, the direct way he had of speaking. And of course, he was very good looking, with an absolutely adorable smile...

"Stella." Julie was frowning and she followed Stella's gaze over to Hickam.

"Ah," Julie said, almost in a whisper. Nodding, she said, softly, "He's a catch, no doubt about it. Practically everyone in town wishes he would find someone he cares about."

Stella bit her bottom lip. "And why hasn't he?" she whispered.

Julie shrugged. "Probably a combination of shyness and not finding the right girl, I guess." Julie tilted her head. "Why do you ask?"

Stella's cheeks went pink. She leaned in to be sure he couldn't hear them. "We talked some, at Rosemary and Lee's house the other night. We... _connected_. I think."

Julie took Stella's hand, sighing. "Love in bloom. There's _nothing_ better is there?"

Stella narrowed her eyes. "I think love might be a little premature, Julie. But I am... interested," she said. Raising her voice back up to a normal level, Stella said, "So, I need to go back up to Spruce Grove to get our things. We don't have much, really, but at least it will give us a start on filling the place."

Julie said, "You're lucky that Rosemary was so set on new furniture for their house. She left a lot of it, and just told Lucas to keep it for the new tenants."

Stella nodded. "And it's so much nicer than anything we have, that's for sure. Now that I've been inside I know exactly what we need. I just have to take the train up to Spruce Grove before school starts for Jessie, to get our things and come back. But Jessie wants to stay here, and I don't blame her. I just might need some help is all..."

"I can help."

Stella turned suddenly and saw what Julie had already watched in action. Mike Hickam had stood from his table and started for the front door until he'd heard Stella say the word "help." At which point, he'd turned and walked straight over to stand behind Stella's chair. On his face was a look of determination that Julie had never seen before.

Taken aback, Stella thought she might not have heard him correctly. "I'm sorry?"

"I can help," he said again. "I have a little... well... about four months actually, of vacation coming to me. And I've never been to Edmonton, but I've always wanted to see it. And then... a wagon to Spruce Grove, and loading onto the train, you... you can't do that by yourself, and all that lifting, and..." Hickam finally took a breath. "If you want, I can help you."

Stella smiled the kind of smile that a man can carry with him for a while, Mike thought. "You wouldn't mind?" she said, looking up at him.

Mike smiled back at her. "No," he said softly. "I wouldn't mind."

Julie just sat there, her mouth in a little O. This was the sweetest exchange she'd witnessed in quite some time. One doesn't often have the privilege of being present at the very beginning, and unless she was sorely mistaken, this was the beginning of Stella and Hickam. Julie smiled. _Hickam_.

_Well, it's about time he finds someone to appreciate him_, she thought.


	101. Chapter 101

There were so many plans to be made, and not much time to do it. Laura was very agreeable to taking over for Elizabeth at the school, in fact, she was thrilled and excited at the prospect. She'd been talking with Elizabeth for a while about wanting to be a teacher, but she loved Hope Valley and had no desire to leave it. This was the best of both worlds.

It wasn't a forever solution to Laura's dilemma, but Elizabeth had decided she wanted at least four months with the babies, and that would take them into the summer months. So once Elizabeth left the little schoolhouse on the meadow, she wouldn't be back until school started in September. And by that time, perhaps a solution might be for Elizabeth and Laura to share both the duties of watching the Grant children and teaching the Hope Valley students.

Elizabeth was a natural planner, but if life had taught her anything, it was that planning too far ahead was often a messy and disappointing business. So she contented herself with a plan until September.

School was starting right after the holidays on the second of January, so during the week between Christmas and New Year's Elizabeth and Laura could be found often at the harvest table with lesson plans, piles of textbooks and student evaluations.

"You're going to be so good at this, Laura," Elizabeth said, smiling. "You really are such a good listener and you love learning. So much of teaching is finding a way to translate your own joy of learning to the children, and you do that very naturally."

The only one in the household who didn't quite understand the urgency of the study at the harvest table was Jack. But he had so many hands ready to pick him up, so many projects he was called upon to help with, that he hardly had time to think about it.

Christmas needed to be taken down and the new year begun. All the precious ornaments were carefully packaged and put into storage in the barn; the tree was recycled as firewood and the fragrant spruce boughs used as in bedding in the loft.

Allie and Nathan, with Jessie and Jack invited along, had found Allie's pinecone in the large stand of trees behind the house. They'd pulled a seed from the cone and had planted it into a pot that now sat warm on the windowsill in Allie's room. She would nurture it until spring, and then the family would plant the seedling next to last year's in the backyard. Elizabeth and Nathan couldn't help but imagine the row of trees that would grow there, graduated, large to small, as the years passed on the farm.

Unfortunately, the end of the holidays also meant that Rebecca and Charlie would be returning to the ranch in Airdrie. They had decided to take the same train home that Stella and Hickam would use to travel up to Edmonton, so that for at least the first eight hours of the long trip there would be four of them.

Rebecca had winked at Nathan while they discussed it. "Not sure that boy Mike is all that thrilled that we're coming along for the start of the trip," she said. "His joy at having company seemed a little tinged with disappointment, if you ask me."

Nathan laughed. "They'll have another ten hours or so alone, and then the whole way back. That should be long enough for the beginning of any courtship."

Rebecca laughed. "Yep, they'll surely know if they like each other after that."

Nathan hugged her tightly. "I'm going to miss you, Mom." They were in the living room and Nathan stood to stoke the fire and add another log. "It's been so great having both you and Dad here." He looked over at her. "Has it been hard for you?"

Smiling, Rebecca said, "Surprisingly, no." She frowned, thinking. "Part of me will always love him, Nathan. He gave me you."

Nathan tilted his head and his eyes went soft. "Oh, Mom." He came to sit beside her in front of the fire, and put his arm around her while they watched the flames clear the new wood of its tiny branches and the outer layer of bark.

Rebecca sighed. "You've got a good life here, Nathan. A good woman. Allie, Jackie, more on the way. That's all a mother wants, you know?" She looked over at him and touched his face. "You're a fine husband and father. I can't tell you how proud I am."

Nathan found a thread on his pantleg that needed very focused attention. He pursed his lips slightly, but didn't feel entirely confident in speaking at the moment.

Rebecca laughed softly. "And I know that's all hard for you to hear, but you're hearing it. You don't need to talk about it. It just is."

Nathan turned to her, his eyes glistening. "I love you, Mom. The older I get, the more I can understand all you've gone through in your life, and if I can face trouble half as well as you have, well, I'll be proud of myself too."

Rebecca raised her eyebrows. "Now don't make your mother cry, Nathan. It's hard enough to leave you without you giving me compliments." She laughed and hugged him. "I'll be back before you know it. You call the General Store and let them know when you're heading back on the train, and we'll beat you home. Seth and the hands are getting better at running that ranch than we are, so even Charlie feels fine about coming back so soon."

Nathan smiled. "And then," he took a deep breath, "You and Charlie are getting married?"

Rebecca looked at the ring that Charlie had placed on her hand as a promise. "I guess all those hours with Kevin at the livery weren't spent in talking about just horseshoes," she said softly. She looked up at Nathan. "Yes. Judge Avery, Bill, said he'd be pleased to perform the ceremony, and Julie and Lucas are opening up the restaurant for a reception. But not until you and Elizabeth and your babies are done having a fuss made over you."

Nathan paused for a moment and then looked seriously at her, taking her hand. "Mom..."

She immediately frowned. "Oh, this looks bad," she said.

Nathan laughed. "No. Not at all. In fact, I think you're going to like what I have to say."

"Okay," she said cautiously.

Nathan took a deep breath and looked at her. "We know Elizabeth is having twins, and the strong possibility, just because of our family history and Elizabeth's, is that they will be a girl and a boy." Nathan laughed softly and looked down. "Elizabeth is sure of it, because they... communicate with her."

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "And you don't believe that?"

Nathan took a deep breath. "Oh, Mom, I don't have nearly enough information about any of this... this... _miracle..._ to know what to believe." He looked at Rebecca. "I believe Elizabeth believes it."

Rebecca nodded and smiled. "_There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy..."_

Nathan laughed. "Elizabeth quoted that speech from _Hamlet_ to me once. When she saved my life out in that field. She told me it was divine intervention that she found me. Involving her horse."

Now Rebecca laughed too. "I love that girl. She's just widening your horizons all over the place, isn't she?"

Taking a deep breath, Nathan simply smiled and shrugged. "It's an adventure, Mom. All I know is that I can't wait for each day to dawn so I can find out what new thing she's going to say."

Rebecca nodded. "And that will take you a long way to old age together. That makes me happy." She smiled, and said, "So, a boy and a girl?"

"Ah, yes," Nathan said, remembering what this conversation was supposed to be about. "If we _do_ have a boy and a girl... We want to name the girl Rebecca Julia, after you and Julie."

Nathan had never seen tears spring to his mother's eyes quite so quickly. And they spilled over and ran down her cheeks in an almost alarming fashion.

"Mom..." Nathan said suddenly, and she threw her arms around him, holding him tightly. She held him for a long time while he rubbed her back. "Oh, Mom..." he said, laughing softly.

She pulled away and held him at arm's length. "Thank you, Nathan," she said softly. "That would be a great honor."

Nathan reached his thumb up and wiped a tear from her deeply lined face. "Happy tears, right?"

Rebecca nodded. "The happiest," she said.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Nathan asked, pushing the swing lightly with his foot.

Elizabeth laughed softly. "I remember this time so well with little Jack. It's hard to explain, but it's how I felt the first time I stood in front of a classroom full of children. I found myself wondering why I ever thought I was grown up enough to do it." Shaking her head, she said, "And now," she said, putting her hands on her tummy, "I'm bringing two more little lives into the world, and they'll look to me for answers as if I have them. What was I thinking?" She said, laughing. Elizabeth looked up at Nathan. "Am I making any sense?"

Nathan smiled and kissed her temple. "Yes. It's the same feeling I get when I'm wearing the uniform and people ask what they should do. Part of me wants to say, 'how should I know?' but, then, when I get quiet, I find an answer. Maybe not always the perfect answer, but something that will work." Nathan pulled her closer. "And that's the kind of mother you are. You may not think you know how to do it, but it comes naturally for you."

Elizabeth exhaled. "It's easier to believe that now, having had Jack. But two at once?" She looked down again. "No going back now." She smiled, watching the embers of the fire in the stove. "I was so paralyzed with Jack that I couldn't even get his nursery set up. Florence, Rosemary, Abigail, and Molly came over and did it for me. I haven't talked to a mother yet who felt she was fully prepared at this point."

Nathan smiled. "Did you talk to any fathers?" he asked, chuckling.

Elizabeth laughed and looked up at him. "So I should be asking you? How are you doing?"

Nathan sighed. "You know, men, and in particular, Mounties, aren't supposed to tell you when they don't have the answers. We're supposed to pretend we do. To show confidence."

Smiling Elizabeth said, "Well, everyone likes a confident Mountie, that's for sure. But you don't have to be that with me, Nathan. We both know how much we want these little ones, but I'd be very surprised if it didn't give you _some_ pause."

"I think paralysis is a good word," he said, laughing softly. "We have quite a road ahead of us, Elizabeth, and we're just setting foot on it. Arranging things here, the train to Hamilton, then staying at your parents' house for who knows how long, then..."

Elizabeth tightened her hold on him. "The babies..."

Taking a deep breath, Nathan repeated, "Yes. The babies, then the train home, and then life begins again. And I have a lot less time to finish that second crib. I should be out there in the shop right now," Nathan said.

"No, you shouldn't. You should be right where you are, supporting your overly-emotional and slightly insane wife."

Nathan smiled. "You sound pretty sane right now."

Elizabeth snuggled down into his shoulder. "It's because we're here in this swing. This is a very sane place."

"I was thinking the other day that this would be a good place to rock the babies to sleep." He looked down at her, "This swing. Can't you see it?"

"You with a baby on each side? Yes," she said softly, "I can see it." Elizabeth sat up and turned to look at him. "Your father told me something about you the other night."

Nathan grimaced. "Uh oh. What kind of something?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "That he has a guitar and that you used to play it... and _sing..._ when you were younger."

Nathan chuckled. "Sadly, it's the truth. But I bet he didn't say I did it _well._ Mostly cowboy songs. I used to imagine playing the guitar while I was riding across the frontier. I loved Theodore Roosevelt's book, _The Winning of the West_. That and any number of dime novels."

Elizabeth laughed. "Ah, so it wasn't all Jane Austen, then?"

"Not by a long shot," he said. "And when I actually _tried_ to ride and sing with the guitar, Sunset got spooked and nearly threw me. Unfortunately, in saving myself, I threw the guitar."

Elizabeth giggled, "Oh dear. But it survived?"

"Somewhat," Nathan said. "Took me almost a month of chores to pay for repairing it. It was pretty beat up, but it played just fine."

Elizabeth tilted her head and smiled at him.

Nathan frowned. "What are you up to?"

"I wonder whatever happened to that guitar?" Elizabeth said in her best teacher voice.

"Dad took it with him," Nathan said cautiously. "And I assume he lost everything when he went to prison."

Elizabeth nodded solemnly. "Actually, he pawned it in Edmonton. And when he was released from prison, he went back and got it."

Nathan frowned. "The same guitar? It was still there?" he said incredulously.

Elizabeth laughed. "He also told me about the repairs. It seems the scars made it less than desirable and it got pushed into a corner in the back. So Archie found it and bought it back from them."

"It wasn't with his things when I went up there," Nathan said.

"Nope, because he was giving lessons to Jessie, so he left it with her to practice with. At Stella's."

Nathan smiled, finally seeing where this was going. "And Stella is bringing her things back down at the end of the week. And I assume Dad's guitar will be with her?"

Elizabeth grinned. "Yep."

Nathan exhaled. "Well, what do you know?" he said, smiling. "That guitar has more lives than a cat."

"So," Elizabeth said with a soft smile, "What do you think I can see in my imagination?"

Nathan just raised his eyebrows in a question.

"You," she said, "Sitting right there in that chair with Archie's guitar, with the babies here in the swing, and you're singing them goodnight."

Nathan laughed. "We all know you have quite the imagination."

Nodding, Elizabeth said, "Ah, yes, but this isn't like imagining unicorns or something. This could really happen." She smiled softly at him and Nathan sighed.

"That's not fair," he said, reaching over and pulling her to him. He kissed her gently, lingeringly, and leaned his cheek against hers. "When you look at me like that, I can't say no to you," he whispered, making her shiver a little.

She leaned her lips up next to his ear. "You can start practicing when Stella gets back," she said.

Nathan pulled away and looked into her eyes. "You're not the only one who's heard secrets, you know."

Elizabeth frowned slightly and looked at him, questioning.

"Rosemary told me about a stunning rendition of 'Danny Boy' that you shared in a church concert one evening." Nathan moved a curl from Elizabeth's forehead. "She said you have a beautiful voice."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "Rosemary is my best friend. You can't trust her to be honest about that."

Raising his eyebrows, Nathan said, "I've heard you sing."

"When?" Elizabeth said.

Nathan's eyes went soft as he continued stroking her hair. "When you wake up in the morning, as you're getting dressed. When you're kneading the dough for bread." He smiled. "When you sew." The crooked smile returned. "And especially with Jack, after he falls asleep when you're holding him."

Laughing softly, Elizabeth said, "You make it sound like I'm singing all the time. I didn't know I did that." Now she reached up and ran a finger through the curl at his forehead. "It's probably because I'm happy."

"Well," Nathan said. "I'll make you a deal. I'll sing for the babies, if you'll sing _with_ me."

Elizabeth paused for a moment and then smiled. "We'll need to practice," she said softly, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Nathan shook his head slightly. "Not that kind of singing. That doesn't require practice." He kissed the top of her head tenderly. "It comes from the heart."


	102. Chapter 102

Archie's guitar held a place of honor in the seat across from Stella. She hadn't been comfortable trusting it to the baggage car behind them.

Hickam narrowed his eyes at the long, jagged break in the wood that had been finely mended, but was still impossible to miss. "Seen better days, hasn't it?"

Stella laughed softly. "I suppose we all have."

Mike looked over at her and smiled. "You're holding up pretty well."

Stella smiled back at him, raising her eyebrows. "High praise from a man of few words," she said softly.

After nearly seventy-two hours of almost constant companionship, Stella felt that she and Mike were now good friends, at the very least. Truth was, she was feeling much more than that, and she hoped it wasn't just gratitude. It had been a long time since she'd felt this way in the company of a man. And Mike seemed to have a little sparkle in his eye too, if she wasn't mistaken.

The trip up to Airdrie with Rebecca and Charlie had been a wonderful buffer. Some of the nervousness Stella and Mike felt at the long road ahead simply evaporated under Rebecca's spacious personality. By the time they said goodbye in Airdrie, Stella and Hickam had found an easy rhythm together.

From Airdrie to Edmonton they had talked effortlessly about Jessie, waiting tables, Hope Valley, and the oil and lumber business. Conversation had been more natural to both of them than they could ever have imagined.

For a time Stella had gazed out the window, and then she'd awakened with the jolt of a separation in the tracks. She'd been sound asleep on Mike's shoulder, and as she'd been in danger of sliding off, he'd put his arm around her to keep her safe. The fact that his arm was now entirely asleep along with Stella made it impossible for him to retrieve it when she looked up at him with sleepy eyes, then a sudden awareness, and a small "oh!"

What saved them any real embarrassment was that they both immediately laughed. It was a moment of revelation that they would react in the same way to a possibly awkward situation. Hickam was trying very hard not to get ahead of himself, but he did find he was thinking that was a good sign for the future.

When they reached Edmonton, they stayed only long enough to hire a wagon and a horse and get on the road to Spruce Grove. Hickam secured his room at the very same boarding house that Archie and Nathan had used, though not the same room. His experience of Mrs. Ledoux, the unforgettably rude landlady of the establishment, was identical to that of Archie and Nathan. Poor Mrs. Ledoux would be the subject of a few conversations Nathan, Archie and Hickam would enjoy as time went by.

They were hungry, so Stella took Mike to the Spruce Café and introduced him to Helen and the cooks. Hickam saw Helen whisper something in Stella's ear, then they both looked directly at him. Stella looked him right in the eye, smiled, and nodded. Mike didn't always pick up on the subtleties of women's conversations, but Helen's subsequent nod and smile gave a signal that looked pretty clear to him. He felt like he'd passed a test of some sort.

After dinner, they started the work at hand. Hickam was such a monumental help to Stella that she now couldn't imagine how she would have done it without him. He'd been a perfect gentleman while they'd spent long hours packing and loading small items of furniture, clothing, lamps, books and kitchen pots, until finally, in the wee hours of the morning, they'd gotten hungry again.

Sitting on the floor eating scrambled eggs and toast at three in the morning might not be considered the height of romance in most circles, but Stella had been charmed by Hickam from every angle. He was funny and sweet and it was evident that he knew absolutely everyone in Hope Valley. It was also clear from his stories that they trusted him as a man to get things done, and they trusted him _often._

"So, then, I walked up to Bill and said just exactly what Lee had told me to say. 'Bill, Lee wants your pants.'" Mike's delivery was so deadpan that Stella laughed out loud.

"And what did Bill say?" she asked, still giggling and taking another bite of toast.

Mike frowned, thinking. "Pretty sure he said, 'Excuse me?'"

Stella said, "Well, I might have too. Then what?"

Smiling, Hickam said, "I told him I needed his fanciest pair. And I did say _please."_ Mike finished off his eggs and set the plate aside. He stretched his legs out in front of him on the floor.

"And did he give them to you?"

Mike laughed. "Not right there on the street. But yes, he did, and they fit Jesse, so he and Clara went off to The Nutcracker in fine style."

Clapping her hands, Stella said, "A happy ending. But you knew how it sounded when you asked Bill that question, didn't you? About needing his pants?" She leaned back on a packed cardboard box and stretched her legs out next to his.

Mike raised one eyebrow and nodded. "Yes. Of course I did. But you can't imagine the ridiculous things people ask me to do. Not sure why _I'm_ always the one..."

Stella looked at him from under her lashes. "You're always the one because you're kind, and reliable, and intelligent, and you follow through."

He looked at her sideways in his Hickam approximation of playfulness. "And...?"

Smiling softly, Stella said, "And people obviously care about you in Hope Valley."

He stayed silent and waited. Their legs were stretched out side by side on the bare wood floor and he wiggled his foot slightly to touch her leg.

"And..." Stella said, surprising herself by blushing a little. "You're pretty cute..."

Exasperated, Hickam sighed. "Cute." He looked at her. "Just once, could someone call me something other than _cute?"_

Stella smiled and took another bite of her toast. "What would you like me to call you?"

Mike leaned back and said expansively. "Oh, I don't know. Handsome, debonair, charming... irresistible..."

Stella said, "I know you're joking, but..." She raised her eyebrows. "In your way, you are all of those things."

He looked up to see if she was just teasing him, but her eyes were serious, and her lips weren't formed in a smile. They were slightly parted, and he was having a little trouble looking away from them.

Slowly, a smile started on his face. Then he frowned a little. "Just so I'm clear, are we flirting? Because it feels like we might be." He looked down, unable to hold her gaze any longer. He picked a small piece of paper off of his work pants. "And if we're not, that's fine, it's just that I'm not always the best at knowing that sort of thing, and..."

"Yes," Stella said. Hickam looked up sharply and she smiled at him. "I believe we are."

Mike couldn't control the quick intake of breath that followed. Stella was smart, kind, funny, and prettier than any girl he could ever remember talking to for this long, and she had just admitted to flirting with him. On top of his exhaustion from moving and packing, and the fact that it was three in the morning, he was feeling a little light-headed.

"Oh," he said. He realized his mouth was still open, so he closed it. Suddenly he heard his father's voice in his head. _Strike while the iron is hot, boy!_

"So," he said, looking down again, "If that's true, then it might not be out of line for me to ask if you would be interested in having dinner with me when we get back to Hope Valley?"

Stella smiled. "I thought _this_ was our first date," she said.

Hickam looked up quickly, and he realized that this time, she _was_ teasing. He laughed, and said, "I might be able to do better than scrambled eggs on the floor."

Stella frowned. "You don't like my eggs?"

Backpedaling furiously, Mike said, "Oh! No, they're delicious..."

Stella smiled, and Hickam tilted his head, taking a breath. "You're having a little fun at my expense, aren't you?"

Feeling remorseful, Stella shook her head. "No, not at your expense." Before she knew what she was doing, she reached over to his leg next to her and put her hand there. As she did, it suddenly felt very intimate, and she pulled her hand back, her cheeks going pink.

She looked up at him and said, "I would love to have dinner with you. When we get back."

The moment of silence that followed felt full of promise and possibilities. Then it became too much for them and both spoke at once.

"I should check the wagon..." Hickam said.

"I should finish up the kitchen..." Stella said.

Both laughed. Hickam said, getting up, "You will learn that awkward silences are my specialty..." He put his hand out for Stella and she reached up and took it. He pulled her up and she stumbled on the edge of the rolled-up rug toward him. His hands ended up on her shoulders to prevent her from falling headlong into his arms, and he immediately regretted his quick reflexes.

Stella pushed the hair that had fallen forward out of her eyes and looked up at him. He was just the right height, and his hazel eyes were focused on her, soft and warm. Stella thought it was definitely a _kissable_ moment and she found herself drawn to him, but she pulled back. Not because she wanted to, but because it was too important.

"Thank you," she said.

He smiled and said quietly, "For saving you from a terrible rug injury, or..."

"For all of it," she said, very sincerely. "I couldn't have done this alone."

She hadn't quite tamed the curls that had fallen in her eyes, so Mike smoothed them back. "I've enjoyed it," he said softly. They were still standing very close to each other, and Mike very badly wanted to kiss her. But at three in the morning, inside her now-bare apartment after a long day of hard labor, it just didn't feel appropriate somehow.

Hickam took a deep breath and let go of her shoulders. "Well, the train leaves in..." He looked at his watch. "...five hours."

Reluctantly, he moved away from her. "We still need to get the last few boxes into the wagon, get Jessie's horse from the stables, and make our way to Edmonton. I say we stay up and sleep on the train."

Stella smiled and nodded. "I agree," she said, taking the dishes to the wash basin.

"I really have enjoyed this, Stella," Hickam said, coming up behind her with their water glasses.

She turned and suddenly they were face to face again.

"So have I," she said. And without hesitating, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. Then she turned back to the basin and finished up the dishes. She knew he stood behind her for a long moment, because she could feel him there.

But she did wish she could see his smile.

* * *

When the train arrived in Hope Valley, there was a large welcome party waiting. The reasons were multi-faceted. There was a small household to unload into the wagon and get over to the row house, Jessie couldn't wait to introduce Sunset to Allie, and word had somehow spread that there might be some courting going on, and Hickam might be involved.

That last item was news in Hope Valley. So a few of the people who _happened_ to wander over to the train station, like Florence Blakely, just _might_ have been hoping for a glimpse of the girl that could _possibly_ get Hickam to hang up his bachelorhood.

Stella stepped off the train with one arm through Hickam's, and the strap holding the guitar over her other shoulder. They were disheveled, exhausted, wrinkled and dusty, and both wore smiles that said they didn't much care.

Kevin was there to help lead Sunset to the livery where she would be stabled. He'd already talked to Chuck Stewart about _conjunctiva_, Sunset's eye disease, and knew that she would need to be isolated until he could determine if she was contagious or not.

As the boxes were loaded in the Grant's wagon, Elizabeth watched as Stella carefully removed the guitar from her shoulder and handed it gently to Archie. Over the hubbub and the noise of the train, she couldn't hear what they were saying, but after Stella hugged him and began to help with the unloading, Archie brought the guitar over to her.

"I'd be grateful if you would hold this for me, Elizabeth," he said. "I'd like to help load the wagon, and this is a fragile old girl. She's pretty special to me."

Elizabeth took it gently. "I'd be honored, Archie," she said. She knew that sometimes a guitar is not just a guitar – sometimes it's also a symbol of loss and redemption, of getting things back that we've left behind, and of memories that can't be easily replaced.

After loading a chair in the wagon, Nathan walked past Elizabeth and saw what she was holding. The look on his face was one of rediscovering an old friend.

He couldn't resist. Nathan took it from her tenderly and put the strap around his neck. His left hand went naturally to the frets and his right strummed softly. It needed tuning, and his memory served him well as he turned the pegs by tiny increments, leaning his head down so he could hear as he plucked the strings.

Then he sighed and looked at Elizabeth. She saw the same look she'd seen so many times as they walked and rode the ranch in Airdrie, as they stood in the small graveyard, or as he ran his fingers along the books on the shelves in his small bedroom there.

_Memories._ Some good, some bad, which led to a bittersweet, fond melancholy in Nathan. It was only the memories of his sister, his twin, his other half, that produced this look on his face.

Elizabeth reached up and touched his face gently. "Did you play this with Sarah?" she asked softly.

Nathan nodded. "We sang together. I played," he said simply. His eyes focused on thin air, on something very far away. "She had a sweet voice. She sang harmony." He smiled and looked at Elizabeth. "_Red River Valley_. But her favorite was _The Water is Wide."_

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "Maybe you can play it for me sometime?"

Nathan began to come back to his surroundings and he could hear the noise and activity around him in the station. He needed to keep helping to load the wagon.

_There will be time for this later._

Nathan took the strap from around his neck and handed the guitar back to Elizabeth.

He smiled and kissed her tenderly. "I'll play it if you learn the harmony."


	103. Chapter 103

The five of them stood silently in front of the Thatcher home for a moment. They were in a neat line: first Nathan holding Jack, then Elizabeth, then Lucas, and finally, Julie.

Nathan exhaled. "It looks like a museum," he said, turning to Lucas.

"And you might find some artifacts inside," Julie said to Elizabeth, giggling. "Of the _human_ kind."

Lucas' eyes were narrowed slightly as he took in the six massive white columns at the entrance of the Edwardian mansion. Julie said brightly, "You've seen bigger, haven't you?"

Lucas nodded, "Yes. In Germany," he said, looking at the abundant ivy that grew across the portico. "But I believe those were officially castles, and none of them had my potential future father-in-law inside."

Julie hugged his arm. "Oh, he won't bite." She looked at Nathan on her other side. "Perhaps you gentlemen are forgetting that Father doesn't hold sway over us anymore. Elizabeth and I are financially independent. We do what we want to do." She looked back at Lucas. "And we spend time with whomever we please." She squeezed Lucas' arm and said more softly. "I would like to have his blessing. But I don't need his permission."

Lucas leaned forward so he could see Nathan on the other side of Elizabeth. "Does that make this any easier, Nathan?"

Raising one eyebrow, Nathan shook his head slowly. "It... does... not." Jack pointed up at the ionic columns, which provided perfect perches for the chickadees and bluebirds that echoed loudly as they sang down to them. "Birds," Nathan said, and gave Jack a little whistle to make him laugh.

Elizabeth sighed loudly. "Well, while you're all debating the probability of my father biting someone, I need to sit down. Can we go inside, please?"

When you're as far advanced in pregnancy as Elizabeth, that sort of request gets everyone's attention. Immediately, she had Nathan on one side and Julie on the other, while Lucas carried her bags.

Julie pushed the front door open and called out, "Hello, the house!"

"Miss! How good to see you again!" A tall, balding, middle-aged gentleman wearing what looked like a full tuxedo complete with white gloves, approached them formally and bowed slightly.

"Collins!" Julie said, laughing. She threw her arms around the butler, who sighed, grinning. This egregious breach of etiquette appeared to be a common, but not entirely unwelcome, event for Mr. Collins.

"Ebullient as always, Miss Julie," Collins said.

He turned to Elizabeth and his eyes grew wide as saucers. "And Miss Elizabeth... excuse me..." he said, turning to Nathan as the most likely husband, "Mrs. Grant."

Collins was quick, Nathan had to give him that. Within seconds, he had assisted Elizabeth in lowering herself onto a small settee in the main hallway by the door. Before she could even think, Collins had a blanket across her lap and he was set to fetch her any conceivable beverage.

Elizabeth laughed. "I'm fine, Collins, really." She took a deep breath. "I just need to get off my feet once in a while."

Collins eyebrows seemed to be permanently pinned to his hairline. "Utterly understandable, Miss... Madam." Collins did not seem to be a man easily flustered, but it seemed that the twins had accomplished it.

"Darlings!" Within moments, Grace Thatcher was standing in the foyer with them, enveloped by a cloud of what everyone could only assume was very expensive French perfume. She was dressed appropriately for the opera or a fancy dinner.

Nathan took a breath, which was not easy, considering the sudden explosion of roses in the air around him. Jack made the face he liked to wear when cabbage was boiling in the kitchen, and Nathan laughed softly, kissing him on the neck. "Smart boy," Nathan said.

Nathan was wearing his best blue suit, the one he'd worn to Clara and Jesse's wedding, and he felt underdressed standing next to Collins. For a moment he felt a flash of slight panic and his gaze caught Elizabeth's. What he saw there calmed him immediately, and he looked back at her with soft blue eyes. He could almost hear her voice soothing him.

_It's only a house, where people live. These are only clothes, that keep us warm. None of this matters. What matters is that I'm going to be in a hospital having our children, and we're all going to go back to Hope Valley, safe and together._

Nathan smiled warmly at her, his eyes full of love. He nodded and exhaled as Jack looked seriously back and forth between them. Nathan switched Jack from his left to his right arm and used the motion as an excuse to give Jack a much-needed hug.

Lucas and Julie were far more accustomed to this environment than Nathan, so they stepped forward as they promised they would do during the initial introductions.

"Lucas Bouchard, at your service, Mrs. Thatcher. How kind of you to have us here at your home." As Grace reached out her hand, Lucas took it, and then bowed to kiss it lightly. Nathan thought the only thing missing was a click of his heels.

Grace raised her eyebrows and her eyes sparkled, matching the diamond necklace and earrings she was wearing. "Oh, my, Mr. Bouchard. _Un homme de sang Fran__ç__ais._ I can see we will have much to talk about. You are _quite_ charming."

Julie looked adoringly at Lucas, while talking to her mother. "Lucas is not of French blood, Mother. Only his name is French. But you're right, he _is_ very charming."

Elizabeth looked up at Nathan and wiggled her eyebrows with a smile. Nathan stifled a laugh and reached his hand down to squeeze her shoulder in gratitude.

Grace peered at Julie after kissing her on both cheeks. "You look well, darling, though your freckles are showing," she said critically, running her thumb across Julie's face. "You look as if you've been spending far too much time in the out-of-doors."

Julie laughed. "Mother, don't start. You would be surprised at how splendid the outdoors can be." She turned and gazed at Lucas from under her eyelashes, "And some people _like_ my freckles."

Sighing, Grace turned her attention to Elizabeth. She gasped delicately. "Well, Elizabeth. Are you certain it's only _twins?"_

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes slightly. Anyone else could say the exact same thing to her and she would laugh and nod in agreement. But somehow, Grace made it sound like a flaw in her character that she was growing multiple children so robustly. Nathan's hand was still on her shoulder, and she squeezed it, moving forward on the settee in preparation for rising to meet her mother eye-to-eye.

Nathan hooked his arm through hers and did most of the lifting. Elizabeth found herself suddenly on her feet, and she put her arms around her mother. "It's good to see you again. It's been far too long, Mother."

"Yes, it has. It's been an age since you visited."

"The train goes both ways, Mother," Elizabeth said.

Nathan was frankly finding himself getting upset. Not for himself, but for the child he held in his arms. Comparisons aren't always fair, but Rebecca hadn't been able to refrain for a quarter of a minute from hugging and talking to Jack, and Jack wasn't even strictly her grandson yet.

Here was a woman who had never seen her two-year-old grandchild, and she was calmly moving down the line of visitors without the slightest urgency, almost as if it were a reception line for royalty. But now, as she turned to him, finally, Nathan thought he would see a spark of interest.

Jack might not have even existed in Nathan's arms. Grace kept her eyes on Nathan. "And you must be," she said, smiling benignly, "Constable Nathan Grant."

Grace put out her hand and Nathan did not bend down to kiss it. He shifted Jack and shook it gently, and then let go. "I've looked forward to meeting you, Mrs. Thatcher."

Waving her manicured and jewel laden hand, Grace said, "Oh, my dear, you must call me Grace. We're family."

Nathan raised his eyebrows and said in an even tone. "And I'm sure you'd like to meet another member of your family? Your grandson?"

Jack was eyeing her suspiciously, in the way children can do when they meet someone new. Nathan felt Jack's hand tighten slightly on his shoulder, a move he recognized when the boy was faced with another adult and was unwilling to be handed over. Nathan knew the power of that vice grip and again inwardly praised Jack's innate ability to recognize character.

The smile on Grace's face widened slightly but she didn't reach out to touch Jack. "Well, aren't you just precious," she said, in baby-talk. "Buttercup calls me 'Mimi,' and so shall you."

Elizabeth looked at her mother. "Buttercup?"

Grace's laugh was like the tinkle of a bell. "Well, you can't very well call a little girl of three Beatrice Sophia Victoria Grace, now can you?" Grace moved back toward Elizabeth, obviously satisfied with the length of time she'd spent with her grandson. "So we call the little darling Buttercup."

"Where is Viola?" Julie asked. Elizabeth sat back down, already feeling weary. She thought it had less to do with the twins and more to do with her mother.

Grace noticed, and said to Elizabeth, "Oh, darling, let's get you laid out on the sofa in the sitting room, and I'll tell you all about your sister and Sir Lionel and how they've taken the Hamilton social scene by storm!" She looked directly at Lucas and laughed lightly. "Can't all be standing around the foyer like the _help,_ can we?" She moved quickly to thread her arm through Lucas' and began to lead everyone to the large room at the right of the front door.

By now, Collins had organized their luggage and was preparing to have the valet take them upstairs.

Elizabeth used Nathan's arm to stand again and reached out to touch Collins' arm. "We'll take the governess room downstairs, please, Collins. And can you move the small daybed in for Jack?"

Grace turned, a look of sheer horror on her face. "Elizabeth! You can't sleep in the _governess_ room."

"Why not, Mother?" Elizabeth said, challenging her. "It's the perfect size, and I'm not walking up and down the grand staircase a hundred times a day. We'll be just fine in there. I love that room."

Narrowing her eyes, Grace said, "It's very close to the... _kitchen,_ Elizabeth. Surely you'd be more comfortable upst..."

Elizabeth grinned at Nathan. "Good. I get cravings." She raised an eyebrow and spoke directly to Collins. "Don't suppose you have any pickled eggs?"

Collins suppressed a smile and said, "We might be able to accommodate you, Madam."

"Marshmallows?" Elizabeth said, hopefully.

Now Collins did break into a smile. "Those I _know_ we have."

Grace frowned, looking from one to the other as if her daughter and her butler were speaking Greek to each other, and to make it worse, in a _much_ too familiar fashion.

"Shall we?" Lucas said, fighting back a smile of his own. "Julie and I would love to tell you about our hope to travel to Paris. We thought you might have some suggestions for lodgings..."

Nathan caught Lucas' eye and nodded, just by a fraction. Lucas raised an eyebrow and smiled as if to say, _I told you I'd have your back._

_Thank you, Lucas,_ Nathan thought. He smiled to himself. _Perhaps there's a use for all that charm after all._

* * *

_"This_ is where your governess lived?" Nathan asked, looking around at a room that rivaled their Hope Valley living room for space and far outpaced it in opulence.

Elizabeth laughed as she got Jack changed and she washed his face. "Frau Bustenhaller was always lobbying for a better room. She didn't like the smells from the kitchen."

Nathan raised his nose in the air as if to give him a better whiff of any cooking aromas. "I smell freshly baked bread. Mmmm. How can that be bad?"

Smiling Elizabeth said, "I think it was more about a separation from the kitchen staff than about the smells." She sighed. "There's a hierarchy, even among the servants. I didn't understand it for a long time, but now I do. It's one of the reasons I had to leave here."

Elizabeth rummaged through their suitcase to find some of Jack's toys. "Are you ready to go play in the garden, my sweet boy? There's a little fountain for your duck and your boat, and you probably need a good run, after being all cooped up on that train for three days. You were _so_ good in the car, and you didn't nibble on Grandma Grace's finger or anything!"

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Her finger never actually got close enough to be in danger. And I believe her name is... _Mimi,"_ Nathan said, smiling and pulling Jack up on his shoulders.

Elizabeth laughed softly. "Mother isn't really a... _child_ person," she said.

"So, Frau... Busten..."

"Bustenhaller. She was from Zurich. She smelled of cod liver oil and she looked just exactly as her name sounds," Elizabeth said, gathering up the things she wanted to take outside.

"Then Frau Bustenhaller... _raised _the three of you?" Nathan asked, opening the bedroom door.

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "It wasn't all bad. And certainly better than it would have been with Mother. Frau let us play hide-and-seek in the attic, and would bring us sweets when we weren't feeling well. I don't recall her ever raising her voice to us." Elizabeth laughed softly, remembering. "She would stand with her arms crossed, like this..." Elizabeth frowned deeply, making Nathan laugh. "...and believe me, we would settle down."

Elizabeth closed the bedroom door behind her and watched as Nathan expertly dodged the chandeliers with Jack.

"What time does your father get home from work?" Nathan asked.

Laughing, Elizabeth said, "That is the eternal question in this house. We never know. And it's unlikely that tonight will be any different from any other night." Elizabeth lowered her voice so they couldn't be heard in the sitting room as they approached. "Father used to say, _stay longer, work harder and you'll always come out on top."_

Nathan smiled. "Not exactly the golden rule, is it?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "According to Father, there is no golden rule in business."

They walked through the foyer again, this time on their way out to the gardens. Jack badly wanted to touch the fragile glass pendants that hung from the chandeliers, and it was lucky for Nathan they were far too high.

"Oh! My!" Grace said, rising to her feet and looking slightly alarmed. She frowned at Nathan, "What a... _creative..._ way to carry a child."

Nathan blessed Grace with a crooked smile. "Jack thinks so."

Elizabeth looked over at him and tilted her head. _He isn't nervous at all. Not even the way Jack was when he was here._

Nathan looked back at her and winked.

Pleasantly surprised, Elizabeth said, matter-of-factly, "We're going out to the garden." She looked at Julie and Lucas, who were sipping tea and nibbling on macaroons. Julie wrinkled her nose and smiled, nodding vigorously. Lucas raised an eyebrow and then grinned, holding up the macaroon in his hand.

As they worked their way toward the back of the house, Elizabeth touched Nathan's arm. He turned and raised his eyebrows. "What?" he said, opening the back door to the most exquisite open area he'd ever seen this side of the Calgary Botanical Gardens.

"You seem entirely comfortable here. How can that be?" Elizabeth asked, bewildered.

Nathan took a breath and reached up to move a wriggling Jack down to the perfectly manicured lawn. "I learned a long time ago that if you simply can't please someone, and you know you _never_ will... it frees you up somehow. You can be completely yourself." He looked at Elizabeth as she watched Jack run toward the small fountain in the middle of the garden, carrying his wooden duck.

Nathan put his arm around her as they walked close enough to be sure Nathan could catch Jack should he accidentally tumble over the edge. He looked at Elizabeth.

"You love me, right?" he asked her, his eyes very blue.

She sighed. "More than you will ever know."

Nathan shrugged. "That's all that matters."

He grinned and shook his head. "And thank goodness Lucas is charming enough for both of us."


	104. Chapter 104

To no one's surprise, William Thatcher, shipping tycoon, was late for dinner.

It happened more often than not, and the dining room staff was well-acquainted with the process of listening for the car outside the front door and quickly setting the place at the head of the table and adjusting the rest of the company around. On the nights he didn't show up until after dinner, there was one place setting prepared and Grace would sit with him while he ate if she wasn't yet in bed.

This evening, though he knew they had family and visitors in town, and especially that his daughter Elizabeth and yet another of her Mounties had arrived under his roof after an absence of more than two years, William wasn't prepared to alter his schedule one iota. He was confident they would still be there when his work was done.

At the head of the table in William's absence, Grace Thatcher wiped the corners of her mouth delicately and picked up a small bell. Before the tone had died out, there were three servants standing around her chair.

"Thank you, Maisie," Grace said regally, as a sweet-faced girl with brown curls picked up the blue china plate with Grace's barely-eaten scallop appetizer.

Nathan looked at Elizabeth and raised his eyebrows slightly. He whispered, "So the bell-ringing runs in the family."

Elizabeth smirked at him. "Very funny." Leaning over, she said, "Allie would call that a dad joke."

Nathan looked down at the napkin that was precariously settled over the twins. He laughed softly. "Well, I do believe I'm _about_ to be a dad. Again."

Elizabeth stretched a little in the hard, straight-backed chair. "Hopefully not tonight," Elizabeth said. She reached her hand under the table and held his, and then, of course, Nathan and Elizabeth had one of their moments.

In Hope Valley, people had gotten used to these little holidays from reality that the two of them took now and then. One of them would say something, they'd look at each other, and that was it for a short time. No conversations, no glances elsewhere, and folks knew just to take a pause and wait for them to return.

But at the Thatcher mansion in Hamilton, this was not a familiar event. So, when they both took a deep breath and their focus returned to the dinner table, everyone was staring at them. Julie and Lucas simply smiled with a twinkle in their eyes. Grace and Viola, however, sat with their foreheads furrowed and their eyes narrowed. Lionel was mostly oblivious as he buttered a slice of bread.

"Elizabeth." Grace repeated her daughter's name the way one might to a small child whose mind had wandered during lessons.

Smiling, Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and said quietly, "Yes, Mother?"

"Where on earth did you just go?" Grace said, sounding annoyed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm right here," Elizabeth said sweetly. She looked back over at Nathan, who was smiling at her softly. His eyes were very blue.

Nathan reached up and moved a wayward curl from Elizabeth's forehead, and a conversation from Airdrie came back into Elizabeth's mind.

_What does that mean, when you do that with my hair? It usually means I'm thinking about how much I love you._

And he was. In the midst of all this opulence and his mild confusion about which one was the salad fork, all Nathan could think about was the treasure – the _treasures –_ sitting next to him.

"I was _saying..."_ Grace continued, slightly exasperated, "That Cecile Kensington will be coming for dinner with Charles on Friday evening. And they are very much looking forward to seeing you, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth tilted her head. "That's wonderful. They can meet Nathan," she said pointedly.

Elizabeth had known this trip would be challenging, and she and Nathan had talked at length about it. But it was still disconcerting to sit at a dinner table and have three of its occupants – Grace, Viola and Lionel – patently ignore another member of the party. They weren't much better with Lucas, because although he had a certain charm, he had still chosen to live in the savage backwaters of Hope Valley, so there was clearly a flaw in either his lineage or his upbringing.

The fact that the Thatchers now had not one, but _two_ daughters living in said savage backwater didn't enter into their thinking. Although Elizabeth had been there for going on eight years, they still truly believed this was a "phase" she was going through, and that one day she would simply come home.

Now that Julie had entered into Elizabeth's delusion, their mental gymnastics required a little more creativity, but any day now they expected _both_ of their daughters to show up on their doorstep and ask demurely to be invited back into the pleasures of polite society.

Elizabeth looked at her mother and then over to Viola and repeated herself forcefully. "It will be very good to have Charles meet my _husband,_ Nathan," Elizabeth said. And just to put an exclamation point on it, she said, _"Constable_ Nathan Grant. The Mountie of Hope Valley." She said it as if she were introducing King George himself.

Grace flinched. "Well, _that_ was an extraordinary display, Elizabeth. Whatever brought that on?"

"What brought that on, Mother, is your consistent disregard for the man I've chosen to spend the rest of my life with, the man I love..."

She turned to Nathan and she had tears in her eyes. He reached up and put his hand on her flushed cheek. "Angel, don't," he said softly. "I don't care." And she could see that he really didn't.

Perhaps it was her pregnancy, or perhaps it was the sweet look in her husband's eyes, but right there at the Thatcher dinner table, Elizabeth did something bold and quite unheard of. She kissed Nathan, unapologetically, and didn't make it a quick one. They might as well have stood on the table and danced a jig as far as Grace was concerned.

Viola gasped and nudged Lionel so he couldn't say he hadn't seen it when she wanted to discuss it at length later. Grace looked around the room to see which servants were witnessing this scandalous flaunting of the dining room rules, so she could talk to Collins about handling the gossip below stairs.

Julie was grinning as she watched. Lucas turned to her, and raised his eyebrows in a challenge. Julie's eyes went wide and she nodded. Lucas bent slowly and touched his lips to hers.

Grace could not have been more surprised if the house had sprouted wings and flown off to the moon.

"Oh," was all she managed to utter before Jack came running out of the door to the kitchen with Buttercup close on his heels, both of them screaming like banshees and giggling.

"Buttercup!" Viola said, in complete shock. The little girl she had dressed in so many ruffles and bows that it was hard to see if there was a child underneath, had actually taken off her shoes and stockings, and was running around the table in her _bare feet._ Like a wild animal.

"Lionel! Do something!" Viola said indignantly, but her husband the duke, Sir Lionel of London, had gone back to his freshly-served Beef Wellington and seemed largely undisturbed by the commotion.

On one of his passes by the table, Jack was caught up by Nathan's long arm. "Whoa, there, cowboy, what's the rush?" Nathan said, laughing. He whispered loudly, "When a pretty young lady is chasing you, Jack, you want to let them catch you once in a while..." Jack laughed and wriggled out of his arms, deciding now that chasing Buttercup might be the better idea.

Cora, the upstairs maid, came running in to search for the children, fairly quivering with apologies. "Ma'am, I'm _so_ sorry, they're too fast for me!"

Grace Thatcher was speechless for one of the first times in her life. She felt she had lost complete control of any semblance of order or decorum, and right now she was contemplating where she might have gone wrong.

_If only William were here,_ she thought. _None of this would be happening. Nothing ever happens when William is here._

But that was an incorrect assumption. When Grace looked up at the arched entrance to the large dining room, she could clearly see that William Thatcher was standing there. His mouth was slightly agape as he watched and listened to the chaos that had overtaken his normally sedate and proper dining room.

"Hello, dear," Grace said, nearly at a shout to be heard over Cora's pleading with the children, Viola's gasping, and Jack and Buttercup's delighted squealing. The other sound coming from the table was the barely-stifled laughter of the members of the dinner party who also happened to be the Hope Valley residents.

* * *

"We have _got_ to get a camera," Elizabeth said, still giggling hours later. She was talking softly so as not to wake Jack in the daybed that now occupied their bedroom. "If I could only have a picture of Mother's face, and then one of Father's..." She dissolved into giggles again.

Nathan pulled her closer on the four-poster bed. She was resting on her side, allowing the pillows to take the weight of the babies for a time. Her head was on Nathan's chest, and she felt warm and safe in his arms.

"I think we made an... impression," Nathan said thoughtfully, looking down at her so she could see his eyes twinkling.

Elizabeth frowned and looked up at him. "How is _none_ of this bothering you? I thought this was going to be so hard for you to be here, and instead you seem to be enjoying yourself immensely!"

Nathan thought for a moment, wanting to say it in the right way. "The reason your parents are important to me is because they're _your_ parents. Not because they're important people, or rich people, or people who know... _dukes_... and earls..." He smoothed her hair gently under his hand. "But let's face it, angel, they wouldn't seek me out as a friend, would they? We're so different. Not good or bad, just different."

Elizabeth sighed. "No, they wouldn't," she said. Softly, almost to herself, she said, "Maybe as a footman for their horses..."

Nathan nodded vigorously. "Yes. Exactly! So for me to try to rise in their estimation to the level of a son-in-law... well, it just feels futile. So why try?"

Elizabeth smiled and looked up at him. "That is so... reasonable."

Nathan reached down and put his hand on her stomach. "I have much more important things to do than to try to impress your parents."

Elizabeth giggled again. "I don't think I've ever seen Father so out of his element. Was it my imagination or did he look a little flushed?"

"Beet-red is more like it," Nathan said, chuckling.

"But you were so brave, Nathan. You stood up, walked around, put out your hand and introduced yourself as my husband." Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Father was taller than Jack. He used to use that against him, I think, sort of lording it over him." She smiled at Nathan, "You're taller than Father. By a good measure. I don't think he expected that."

Nathan nodded. "And then Lucas stood up from the other side of the table and put out his hand..." Nathan laughed softly. "He had to look up at both of us. I don't have the feeling he enjoyed that very much."

"No. And..." Elizabeth started.

"What?" Nathan asked, looking down at her.

"I never thought I'd say this, but you and Lucas make a good team."

Nathan laughed. "We do, don't we? It really helped that he stood up when I did. And I suppose I'm next up to bat for him. Did you hear what he asked your father?"

"No, the children were still making too much noise. What did he say?"

Nathan did his best Lucas impression, which Elizabeth thought was surprisingly good. "Mr. Thatcher, I would appreciate a moment of your valuable time at some point in our visit? Hopefully tomorrow?"

Elizabeth's eyebrows shot up. "Do you think...? And did you notice when we were standing in front of the house when we first got here, that Lucas called Father his _possible future father-in-law?"_

Smiling, Nathan said, "Yes, I did notice that. But I already knew."

It was not easy for Elizabeth to get up quickly from a lying-down position these days, but she did her best.

"You _knew?"_ she said indignantly. _"What_ did you know? And _when?"_

Nathan smiled. "Lucas told me on the train two days ago that he's going to ask Julie to marry him and he wanted your father's blessing. He has the ring with him."

Elizabeth opened and closed her mouth like one of the fish she'd seen reeled in to the dock by Allie. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Lucas asked me not to," Nathan said simply, his face open. "But I figure now that he's pretty much let the cat out of the bag..."

"Nathan Grant! How did you keep that from me? About my own sister?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow and looked at her slyly. "It wasn't my story to tell."

What she was going to say next would remain a mystery, though Nathan had a fairly good idea just from the dark look she gave him. He was grateful that they were interrupted by a loud crash from the general direction of the kitchen. Elizabeth checked on Jack and after his spirited exercise earlier in the evening, he was softly snoring, still sound asleep.

Nathan and Elizabeth opened the bedroom door and were immediately drawn toward the kitchen by the delicious smell of something savory, like soup or stew. Neither of them had eaten much past the scallop appetizer, and they realized they were famished.

Pushing the door open, they could see that Lucas and Julie were standing with the Thatcher family's head cook, Elsa. The three of them were huddled around a huge cooking pot on the stove, wafting the steam up toward their noses with their eyes closed. Lucas had just hung another pot up that had fallen, clearly the noise that Elizabeth and Nathan had heard.

"So, you marinate the chicken in white wine first. Overnight?" Lucas asked Elsa.

"Yes. Or if you have only a little time, at least four hours. And no sweet wines. Sauvignon Blanc is best."

"Then you sprinkle cooked bacon on the top? When?"

"After the meal is ready, right before you serve," Elsa said, dropping fresh thyme into the pot and stirring. She filled a wooden spoon with the broth and lifted it to Lucas' mouth for tasting. He blew softly on it and sipped, closing his eyes again and sighing. "Oh, Julie, you have to try this," he said.

"Silly, I grew up on Elsa's food," Julie said. But she still took the spoon from him and finished it off.

Nathan walked over behind Lucas and looked into the pot. "Chicken stew?" he said, his mouth watering.

Elsa looked up at him from the considerable height difference between them, her eyes flashing darkly. _"Coq au vin,"_ she said vehemently, as if that would clear up any misunderstanding.

Lucas grinned and leaned next to Nathan and said softly, _"French_ chicken stew. But it's still chicken stew."

Nathan nodded and said, "Thanks." He looked back at Lucas and smiled gratefully. "Again."

Nathan looked longingly into the stew pot. "Is anyone else hungry?"

Lucas exhaled. "Starving. I don't remember much past the _Coquille St. Jacques."_

To Nathan's blank look, Julie said, "The appetizer, the one with the scallops."

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Oh, that was good."

Lucas nodded. "Excellent, because we're adding it to the menu at Le Bistro." At Elsa's quick look up at him, Lucas turned his charm on her with a smile and the cook softened immediately.

Nathan looked at Elizabeth and shook his head. Then he turned to Lucas. "Tell you what. I'll teach you how to ride a horse properly if you'll teach me how to do that."

Lucas put out his hand, laughing. "Deal." Then he turned to Elsa again. "I know this is for tomorrow's luncheon, Elsa, but we didn't get much dinner this evening." He smiled at her again and raised his eyebrows, puppy-dog style. "I don't suppose we could just have a bite, here in the kitchen...?"

Within minutes, the four of them were around the large table where the servants ate their supper, presented with steaming bowls of _coq au vin_ and fresh fragrant sourdough bread. Elsa placed a dish of butter on the table and brought them four ciders.

Julie checked on Jack every once in a while, but he was out cold. They sat around the table in the kitchen and Elsa sat with them. They all enjoyed the delicious food while Lucas, Julie and Elsa told stories from the perspective of the kitchen - of elegant dinner parties saved at the last minute, missing ingredients and creative solutions, and how sometimes the worst mistakes can turn out to be the greatest triumphs.

By the time they'd eaten their fill, they'd been joined by Collins, Cora, and a scullery maid named Edith. The laughter around the table in the kitchen was as plentiful as the food.

Nathan was reminded of congenial dinners around his own harvest table and Rebecca's. And they were in the Thatcher mansion in Hamilton.

He shook his head and looked at Elizabeth, kissing her softly on the cheek as he pulled her close. "Never let me get so set in my ways that I can't be surprised, angel."

Elizabeth hugged him tightly. "I'll do my best to remind you, my love." She kissed him back. "As long as you'll do the same for me."


	105. Chapter 105

Elizabeth was glad the weather was so nice. Even in February, Hamilton was temperate this year and the snow hadn't fallen the entire time they'd been staying at her parents' home. That meant that Jack could spend time outdoors and run off some of the two-year-old energy that seemed never-ending.

And where ever Jack was, Buttercup was sure to follow. Which meant that Cora was outside too. She and Elizabeth spent many happy hours sitting on the pillow-covered wrought-iron bench out in the gardens, watching the children as they played together around the fountain and at hide-and-seek in the bushes.

The scene inside was a little less happy, as Viola and Grace stood watching with their after-breakfast tea to gape at the spectacle going on outside.

"Don't worry, darling, you'll go back to England and your sweet little Buttercup will forget all about these _wild_ times," Grace said, sipping her tea at the window.

Viola seemed to have a look of horror permanently stamped on her face. "But Mother, she keeps taking her _shoes_ off. I can't keep them on her." Sighing, Viola said, "And I do thank you for Cora, but that girl has no skills in discipline at all. I get the feeling she _enjoys_ being around that unrestrained little boy." Frowning, she turned to her mother. "And whatever kind of name is _Jack?_ Is it short for something? John, perhaps? Calling a small child Jack is so... _cowboyish."_

Grace smiled to herself and wandered back to the sofa. "Well, dear, they do live in the west, very close to the frontier. One can only expect..."

Grace's attempt at understanding all things western was interrupted by the entrance of the man that Grace and Viola could only call "Elizabeth's Mountie." Of course they knew his name, but he was such an enigma to both of them, they couldn't seem to use it unless he was present. Like now.

"Ah, Nathan, did you sleep well?" Grace looked discreetly at the grandfather clock in the corner. It was well past ten o'clock. She raised an eyebrow toward Viola. _They must sleep later in the west as well._

Nathan smiled and reached for a gingersnap from the china plate on the table. "Oh, I've been up for hours. I was in the kitchen having breakfast with Arthur... um, Mr. Collins. He's quite the woodworker. We were sharing techniques for beveled edges."

There were so many parts to that astonishing sentence that needed processing, that Viola and Grace simply stood there blinking with their teacups in mid-air and their mouths open.

"Oh. Well, that's lovely," Grace finally managed to say. Nathan was on his second gingersnap and seemed not inclined to sit down and enjoy it.

"I imagine Elizabeth and Jack are out back?" He looked at Viola and grinned. "Your daughter is such a great girl, Viola. She and Jack seem to have really hit it off."

He narrowed his eyes a little at the two of them. It wasn't often that Nathan got to feel like the chattiest person in the room. "Okay, well... I guess I'll go see what they're up to..."

Grabbing another cookie for the road, Nathan smiled and made an awkward little bow, and then escaped down the hall.

Viola said softly, _"Great girl_... my Buttercup? They've _hit it off."_ She turned with pleading eyes toward Grace. _"Mother...?"_

Grace had a strange look on her face. She tilted her head and walked back over to the window. Nathan had pulled Elizabeth up from the bench and had her in what could only be described as a bear hug. Then, right there in front of Cora and the children, he kissed her. And then, more startlingly, he leaned his head down to Elizabeth's stomach and put his ear there, making her throw her head back and laugh.

Grace found herself smiling as she sighed. She had _memories._ William wasn't always as he is now. There was a _time..._

"Mother, are you listening?" Viola said, coming closer.

Grace spoke softly. "Do you think Elizabeth is happy?" she asked.

Viola frowned, looking outside at them. "What does _happy_ have to do with it? It's a marriage, Mother. They don't always have to be happy."

Nodding, Grace said, "No. But I think this one is." She turned back to Viola and said, "Do you ever regret choosing Sir Lionel?"

"Oh, Lord, not you too?" Viola said, her eyes wide. "I thought we were leaving the _introspection_ up to Elizabeth." Exhaling, Viola said, "It's not perfect. But you really need to come to London, Mother. The balls and the charity luncheons and cotillions. And there's always a chance that King George might..." Viola looked at her mother. "Are you even listening to me?"

Grace was smiling. "I know you may not believe this, but I think I like him. Nathan. He has a certain charm, doesn't he? Primitive charm, to be sure, but I know that he'd never let anything happen to Elizabeth. He absolutely adores her, and she so clearly loves him." Grace thought for a moment. "I would never say this to her, but I think she may love him more than Jack. She's not the naïve girl she was six years ago. She knows what she wants now..."

Viola looked at her mother, bewildered. "What _are_ you talking about?"

Grace looked at Viola for a moment and then laughed her social laugh, the one that sounded like a bell. "Nothing, darling. Just the musings of a woman of a certain age." She hooked her arm through Viola's and walked her back to the sofa. "So, tell me, what was it like meeting the King? Did he speak to you?"

Viola had barely opened her mouth when Julie came in with Lucas, both of them laughing. "They're out back?" Julie said, her eyes bright.

"Yes, darling, but won't you sit down and have some breakfast? I'll have Maisie set it up in the dining room..."

"Thank you, Mother, but we had breakfast in the kitchen already. Elsa is sharing recipes with Lucas."

"You have one of the finest kitchens I've ever seen, Grace. Very impressive. And I'm certain Elsa's skill can't be rivaled in all of Hamilton," Lucas said.

"Thank you," Grace said tentatively. She'd received many compliments on her home, but this was the first she could remember that involved the downstairs staff and their facilities.

Lucas looked over at Julie as she put her arm around Viola's waist and walked over to look out the window. Julie was laughing about what they were seeing outside, and she seemed to be reassuring Viola that the world wasn't coming to an end.

Lucas stood a little taller and said, "Grace, I'm wondering if I might speak to Mr. Thatcher this evening when he arrives home from work." He raised his eyebrows. "I don't want to disturb your plans for dinner, but he is a man with a strong work ethic and it's not always easy to find the time..."

Grace sighed with a smile. "Yes, I do know that about him. Of course," she said, looking over at Julie. Her curiosity was piqued, but she was fairly sure she knew what this conversation would be about.

Grace liked Lucas. She thought he had just the right blend of sophistication and old-world charm for Julie. They clearly loved each other very much, and if Julie was set on Hope Valley, she doubted she could do better than Lucas.

Grace moved closer to Lucas and spoke softly. She put her arm through his and walked him over to the front window of the sitting room so they couldn't be heard.

"If I might offer a small piece of advice," she said, smiling up at him. "With William, it will be better for you to focus on your oil business than on the drinking establishment." She raised an eyebrow, "And any reference to gambling would, of course, not help your case."

Lucas smiled down at her and laughed softly. "Why, Grace, I believe you might be in _favor_ of this match."

Grace sighed and shook her head, but she was smiling. "My two youngest daughters, much as I would like them to be, don't seem to be destined for Hamilton society. The days you've been here have already convinced me of that." She looked up at Lucas with a warning. "But William is not yet convinced."

"Ah," Lucas said, nodding. Then a line formed between his eyebrows. "Grace, you do know... that we would like his blessing... but..."

Grace laughed softly. "That you'll marry anyway? Yes." She looked up at Lucas. "You make Julie happy. And I believe you may be the only man in Hope Valley that can truly tame her." Raising her eyebrows, she said, "If you haven't noticed, she's a bit of a handful."

Lucas laughed. "Yes, I've noticed. I love that about her."

Grace smiled and patted his hand on her arm. "Then don't let William bully you. Best to let him lead and think it's his idea." She leaned and whispered, "That always works for me."

Lucas turned and looked at her with real affection in his eyes. "Thank you, Grace."

Julie turned just in time to see her mother lean up and kiss Lucas on the cheek. She shook her head, laughing softly. _That man could charm the birds out of the trees._

* * *

Bill Avery sat in the Mountie office looking at the phone. The last thing he wanted to do was to worry Nathan while he was in Hamilton, but he knew this couldn't be helped.

Bill picked up the receiver. "Florence, can you get me the Thatcher home in Hamilton, please?"

The pause told him all he needed to know about Florence's curiosity. "Nothing earth-shattering, Florence. I just need to talk to Nathan about Mountie business."

Florence used her haughty voice. "Whatever do you mean, Judge Avery? I'm an employee of the telephone company. I don't get involved in..."

Although there was no one in the office, Bill waved his hand in the air. "Yes, yes, of course, Florence. Can you ring me through, please?"

A moment later, a formal voice came on the line. "Thatcher residence."

"Hello. This is Judge Bill Avery from Hope Valley. I need to speak with Nathan Grant."

"Certainly, sir. Just one moment, please." Bill listened for the click of Florence disconnecting the switchboard after ten seconds. He never spoke beyond pleasantries until he'd heard it. He didn't become a Judge by being careless.

Turns out he had plenty of time to wait. You'd think Nathan was miles away by the number of minutes that passed by.

Bill had never been to the Thatcher estate, but he'd certainly heard about it from Jack. Three stories, thirty rooms, a coach house, handyman's cottage, stables and a formal garden on five acres in the middle of an enormous city. How Elizabeth and Julie had ended up so level-headed was beyond him.

He leaned back in Nathan's chair as he formulated how best to tell him. Probably quick was best. Rip off the bandage.

"Bill?" Nathan's voice finally came on the phone and he sounded slightly out of breath, and as if he'd been laughing. _Great. I'll put a stop to that,_ Bill thought miserably, taking a deep breath.

"I have some news, Nathan," Bill said cryptically.

As expected, the laughter stopped. "What's up, Bill? Mountie business or personal?"

Leave it to Nathan to cut right to the chase. It was one of the things that Bill liked and respected so much about his friend. No meandering.

"Unfortunately, it's personal. Charlie has had a heart attack. Rebecca called this morning from the hospital in Calgary. He's stable, but they want to keep him there for observation. Carson has already spoken with his doctor, and it seems likely there's some problem with an artery that would require an operation, but the success numbers aren't great."

Nathan took a deep breath. _Mom, in Calgary. And Elizabeth, here._ He felt suddenly as if one side of his heart was being pulled in one direction and the other held rooted in place in Hamilton.

Bill gave him room to process. It was another reason the two of them meshed so well. No need to fill uncomfortable silences.

"Why didn't Mom call here, Bill?" Nathan asked.

"She doesn't want you to worry. She wants you to concentrate on Elizabeth and the babies," Bill said softly.

"Of course she does," Nathan said, almost to himself.

Nathan had never stayed in one place long enough to find a friend like Bill, so it was a new experience to him to ask for guidance. He trusted Bill's good sense and straightforward way of speaking. You always knew what you were going to get with Bill. The truth, unvarnished and sensible.

"What would you do, Bill?" Nathan asked simply. There was a pause on the other end of the line, and what Nathan couldn't see was the smile that grew on Bill's face and the deep breath he needed to take before answering. Nathan didn't ask for help often, and when he did, Bill considered it a privilege.

"There's nothing you can do in Calgary, Nathan. But there's a lot you need to do in Hamilton. Rebecca understands that. She doesn't want you anywhere but where you are, even if the worst happens."

"She said that?" Nathan asked.

"Yes. She said exactly that to me this morning. She knows the odds." Bill paused again. It had been a difficult day, and no mistake. He took a deep breath. "Your mother is a strong woman, Nathan. You stay and take care of Elizabeth."

"You think I should call her?" Nathan asked.

"She doesn't want you to, just yet. She said she'd call you. She has your number," Bill said.

"Stubborn woman," Nathan muttered.

Bill laughed. "You're surrounded by them, my friend. You must like them."

Nathan laughed, despite himself. Bill could always find a way to make him laugh. "She knows I can just call the hospital in Calgary, right?"

"You could do that," Bill said. "But best to wait until she's ready, Nathan. She's stubborn, but she'll let you know when she needs you."

Nathan took a deep breath. "Thank you, Bill."

"Aww, well..." Bill said, rolling his eyes to the empty room.

"I'm glad it was you that told me," Nathan said evenly.

Bill smiled, a little flustered. "You just take care of business there." He leaned back again in relief, his bad news delivered. "How's it going? With the Thatchers? I've only met Elizabeth's father, but Jack had quite a bit to say about them."

Nathan laughed. "I bet he did." Nathan turned toward the wall and spoke softly. "They're not so bad, they just live in a completely different world. Lucas is having a better time communicating with them than I am..."

Bill laughed out loud. "Oh, I'm sure of that! Birds of a feather..."

Nathan laughed too, but added, "Lucas is running interference for me, and doing a fine job of it. I've misjudged him, Bill. He never would have been right for Elizabeth, but he's a good man."

Bill chuckled. "Just checking outside to see if there are any pigs flying by..."

Laughing, Nathan said, "I know. But we're probably going to be brothers-in-law, so it's a good thing I'm seeing his better qualities." Nathan looked around him in the foyer. "Keep that under your hat. Lucas is asking Mr. Thatcher for his blessing this evening."

"Not that it matters," Bill said.

Nodding, Nathan agreed. "No, not that it matters. He's giving the ring to Julie tonight regardless. But it would be nice."

Bill harrumphed. "I don't believe that the word _nice_ and William Thatcher are spoken in the same sentence very often."

"Oh, c'mon Bill. We live in _Hope_ Valley," Nathan said, smiling.

"Oh, man, you _have_ gone soft on me," Bill said, laughing.

"Allie's okay? And Dad? I was planning on calling them tomorrow to give them Lucas and Julie's news."

"They're doing great. The two of them and Jessie go out riding just before sunset almost every evening. And Stella and Mike are an item, but you knew that."

"Yes, and I'm glad for both of them. So, no bank robberies or vicious outlaws coming through town?"

"Not a one. Annoyingly boring around here. The biggest case I've had to solve is where Margaret Cooper left her shopping basket. She was certain it had been stolen, but she'd left it on a shelf in the Mercantile. That gave us a little excitement to live on for a while."

Nathan laughed. "Thanks again, Bill, for covering for me. We'll have lots of stories to tell when we get back."

Bill snorted. "No, you'll be sleep-deprived and knee-high in diapers, but we'll be real glad to see you all."

Nathan paused for a moment and said, "Bill, it's likely that one of the twins will be a boy. We're naming him Nathan William. Elizabeth's father may think that's for him, but I want you to know that as far as I'm concerned, we're naming him after you."

Now there was a very long pause at the other end of the line, and Nathan let Bill have the time. It was so quiet that Nathan heard the familiar squeak of his chair in the Mountie office as Bill leaned forward on the desk. Then he heard him take a deep breath.

"Well, that would be my honor," Bill said, his voice breaking a little. "You just get those babies home safely and let this town get started on spoiling them rotten."

"You got it, Bill," Nathan said. He was surprised to find that his own voice was a little unsteady as well.


	106. Chapter 106

_"Here_ you are," Julie said, finally discovering Lucas hidden in the wingback chair that had a perfect view of the front drive. "I feel I've looked in every single room in the house!"

Julie flopped down in the twin chair next to him, exhausted. She tilted her head and gave him a long look, forgetting that Lucas had the ability to stare anyone down for virtually any length of time.

She smiled, her eyes twinkling. "So... what are you doing here?"

Lucas smiled back at her, his eyes soft. "Julia. Has anyone ever told you that you're a very difficult person to surprise?"

Julie laughed. "Only since I was about five." She flipped her hair adorably. "It's because I don't _like_ surprises."

Lucas nodded. "Well, I happen to like giving them, so I don't suppose you'll indulge me just this once?"

Julie raised her eyebrows. "Lucas. It's not as if we haven't talked about this for months..."

He laughed softly, "...only because you keep bringing it up."

Pursing her lips, Julie said, "So you would like me to simply walk away and pretend that you _aren't_ waiting for Father to come home so that you can ask for my hand in marriage?"

Lucas sighed. "God save me from a modern woman," he said, shaking his head. He looked at her. "I should surprise you by _not_ asking you."

She leaned over and put her hand over his. "Then I'll just have to ask you instead," she said softly.

Lucas laughed, exasperated. "And what if I say no?"

Julie lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it. "You never would. You can't resist me," she said, fluttering her eyelashes.

Sighing, Lucas paused for a moment and then smiled. "No, I can't."

Julie's eyes went wide. "So, _how_ are you going to ask him?"

Shaking his head, Lucas said firmly, "No. That's where I draw the line. This is a man-to-man conversation and you will not be privy to it." Raising his eyebrows, he said, "For once, you'll have to wait to find something out. It should be a novel experience for you."

Lucas was always amazed at how Julie's face could go from a bright smile into a frown and a pout in a split second. In truth, he found it charming, and it made him laugh. "Aw, poor Julia," he said, and he could stand it no longer. He stood and pulled her up into his arms.

"I know how hard this is for you, but I need to do this my way." He leaned back slightly and looked into her eyes. "You know how much I love you, and that I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy, but I need just this bit of old-fashioned tradition." Lucas touched his lips lightly to hers, and Julie's frown disappeared, as he hoped it would.

Julie toyed with the knot on his tie. "And what will you do if Father says no?" she asked softly.

Lucas graced her with the soft smile that always made her knees go a little weak. He bent down and kissed her neck, and his warm breath on her ear caused her to shiver. "I'll marry you anyway," he whispered.

The crunch of gravel made them both turn and look out of the window. Lucas took a deep breath.

_"Courage,"_ Julie said with the French pronunciation, straightening his collar and tie. Then she leaned up and kissed him in a way he wouldn't soon forget. And before he knew it, she was off down the hallway.

* * *

William Henry Thatcher's office in the rear corner of the mansion was his refuge. It looked out on the gardens, and the room surrounded him with warm, dark wood and solitude. The deep-red drapes sheltering the tall windows gave him peace in a household filled with servants and women - a man with a wife and three daughters learns quickly that _getting away_ is not just a desire but a critical necessity.

So he had furnished it long ago with deep leather chairs and a massive mahogany desk. There was the requisite globe on the table next to him, though the demands of business had kept him from traveling to most of the parts of it. The books on the shelves were plentiful and richly bound, but the only ones that had been opened were the ones that Elizabeth had snuck out and read from a very early age. Who had time for reading when a multinational shipping company required constant care?

William had been asked by a colleague once if he was happy. The colleague seemed to be going through some sort of crisis of confidence at the time, and because he respected him, William had favored him with an answer that was largely true. "Happiness is not a requirement in life, it is an infrequent and sometimes distracting state of mind. Pin your contentment on business, old man," William had said. "It will not let you down nearly as often."

William had made that statement a number of years ago, and as with many things in life, he wondered if it was still true for him. As he began to realize that he had more years behind him than ahead of him, a natural introspection had begun to occur.

Of course, he had shared this with no one - not even Grace, though he'd been occasionally tempted. Grace had her circle of comfort; society, ball gowns, teas and gossip. But lately, William had begun to see some cracks in Grace's outward calm, and he wondered if she, too, was re-evaluating her life.

They had been very much in love when they'd first courted. Grace was always the most incandescently beautiful woman in the room and she came from a very good family, so the match was a good one on many levels. William still loved her deeply, but somewhere along the road they had forgotten how to show it to each other.

William couldn't know that Grace was on exactly the same path he was, and that over the last weeks, their feet had somehow been set on that path by the love they'd witnessed between Elizabeth and her Mountie.

It was hard to ignore. The profound affection, of course, but also the deep well of respect, their care for the little boy they'd committed to raise together, their fathomless joy about the twins, their humor and intelligence – their _friendship_. These were the things that were making William remember his early years with Grace, when the girls were little, and life seemed... simpler.

After a week of chastising himself for his sentimentality, William had begun to rethink his reaction and relax into it. He remembered Jack Thornton well, and he was trying to understand why _this_ Mountie was so very different. Jack had been almost entirely on the defensive for his short stays in Hamilton, and William had done his best to keep him off his feet, hoping that Elizabeth would see reason and change her mind about her courtship with him.

But Nathan... well, Nathan was clearly a very different man. William found himself developing at first a grudging respect, and then, astonishingly, he found he enjoyed his company in the little time they'd had together. Nathan was a sensible, quiet, and relatively uncomplicated man who saw honor and nobility in the simplest of tasks. A man who would rather spend time at the carriage house asking the stablemaster, James, about the horses, than enjoy the pleasures of the mansion.

Where years ago, William might have concluded that this made Nathan an _ordinary_ man, William was beginning to surmise that it actually made him rather extraordinary. Nathan Grant clearly didn't give a fig whether he was liked or respected by the Thatchers, beyond the fact that it would make Elizabeth happy. And that lack of ambition, paradoxically, made William like and respect Nathan Grant.

William and Grace knew how much time their Hope Valley visitors spent below stairs with the servants. At first disconcerted, William was now remembering the talk he'd had with Collins when the butler's mother had passed away early in his employ with them, and also Elsa's kindness and liberal application of her almost medicinal chicken soup when William had been ill last year. They had good people working for them; people who had been with them for so long, it wasn't surprising that the girls thought of them almost as family.

_I'm getting old,_ William thought. _Old and sentimental._ He smiled. _But I'm not fighting it nearly as vigorously as I thought I would._

Pushing back from his desk, William stood and made his way toward the door. Of course he knew what this was about. And though he would have fought it tooth and nail a few years ago, William was now inclined to believe that if Lucas Bouchard wanted to take on the considerable challenge of Julie, he wouldn't make it too difficult for him. On a purely practical level, dinner was being held until this conversation was over, and William was hungry.

William opened the door. "Won't you come in?" he said, as Lucas rose quickly to his feet from the chair outside his office.

"Sir," Lucas said with a slight bow of his head. The young man seemed a bit nervous, which was uncharacteristic of the demeanor William had seen over the last two weeks. Smiling, William thought, _well, I won't torture him too much. I was young once, too._

Indicating the chair across from him, William sat down again. "Lucas. How can I help you?"

_Good eye contact,_ William thought. _No furtive glances, straight back, a certain reckless confidence, and of course, that disarming smile that had no doubt helped him immensely in his businesses._

"I won't take up too much of your valuable time, sir," Lucas began. "I know we're both looking forward to tasting whatever is producing the delightful aromas coming from the kitchen."

_The smile again._ William had been charmed by the best of them, and if he thought he could tempt Lucas away from Hope Valley, he'd be offering him a job right after this conversation. But whatever it was about that town that had bewitched his daughters had also worked its magic on Lucas and Nathan. Even William could see that.

Nodding solemnly, William waited for what he assumed would be a well-rehearsed and needlessly long speech from the classic suitor. Then again, William was beginning to expect surprises from these young men.

"I love your daughter very much, Mr. Thatcher. It would mean the world to us if we could have your blessing on our marriage."

_Quick and to the point. Good man._ William leaned back in his chair and narrowed his eyes slightly. "I know quite a lot about negotiation, Lucas. That was _not_ a question."

Another charming smile. "No, sir, it wasn't."

"I assume that means you'll be marrying my daughter whether I give my blessing or not?" Lucas was silent and simply raised his eyebrows. "Then why ask me?" William said.

"Because although we've made the decision to spend our lives together, it's important to both of us that you see value in that," Lucas said. "Julie loves you, and I have tremendous respect for you and the life you've built here. And your daughter wants very much for you to give her away at our wedding."

_Bravo,_ thought William, nodding. _All the right themes and cleverly said._ And slowly, a smile did begin to tug at the corners of his mouth. Then his stomach growled. _Enough_, William thought.

Leaning forward, William put his hands on the desk. He spoke in a tone that Lucas thought his Board of Directors might find familiar. "I don't need to ask you about your prospects. I've done some checking into Gowen Petroleum and although it's been badly managed, it shows nothing but promise in a growing town like Hope Valley. The saloon gives me a bit of pause, but you seem to keep a close rein on your customers and its reputation is good. I do also know that you and my daughter, in addition to the obvious personal connections, have a business relationship in a small restaurant." William smiled at Lucas' raised eyebrow. "French, I believe? Which explains why you've been spending so much time with Elsa in my kitchen."

"Impressive," Lucas said, smiling. "I would never be so foolish as to underestimate you, Mr. Thatcher."

For a moment, William met Lucas' gaze and held it. It wasn't exactly a game of chicken, but it was beginning to feel like one when William stood and put his hand out.

"Since you're marrying my daughter, Lucas, I think it's time you call me William." As they shook hands, he said, smiling, "And yes, I'd be honored to walk Julie down the aisle."

Lucas walked directly from William's office to the sitting room and found Julie, as expected, with the rest of the family awaiting the bell for dinner. Without saying more, he took her hand and lifted her to her feet. To the surprise and delight of everyone, with the possible exception of Lionel who had his head in his London Times and missed the entire show, Lucas got down on one knee on the priceless Persian rug.

If he'd wanted to surprise Julie, this was the way to do it. She'd thought he would choose something more sedate, more private, but as her hands flew to her face, Julie realized that this was exactly what she wanted. This very public display, everyone's jaws dropping, then the joyful laughter of those in the room. Except of course for Viola, who seemed in such a constant state of consternation these days that she was simply unable to stop and enjoy the moment. Elizabeth and Nathan found themselves in each other's arms with Jack between them, transfixed by what was happening.

Lucas raised his eyebrows and tilted his head as he reached into his waistcoat. "Julia?" he said softly, looking up at her.

Julie giggled and bounced a little on her toes, full of happiness. "Yes, Lucas?" she said.

Lucas held up the ring, a glorious creation from Kevin, made with gold and a starburst of diamonds that reminded Lucas of the sparkle he so often saw in Julie's eyes.

And in those eyes, Lucas now saw tears forming, just as his own throat began to constrict. He knew if he didn't do this fast they would make a spectacle of themselves. He couldn't remember the last time he'd cried in public, but he was fairly sure he was in short pants. Luckily, he had memorized his proposal completely.

"Julia?" Lucas said again, his voice beginning to quaver a bit. "I love you more than I thought possible. You are the light that shines on my darkness and the unbridled joy that tempers my caution. I am more myself with you than I have ever had the courage to be alone." Lucas paused, regaining control of himself. Then he took a deep breath. "Julia. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Technically, it was actually only "my wi..." because before he could finish, Julie had thrown her arms around him, saying "Yes. Yes. Yes!" Lucas managed to break free long enough to stand, place the ring on her finger, and kiss her before the room erupted and the two of them were surrounded by congratulations. Even Viola's eyes seemed to be glistening a little, and Lionel managed to fold down his paper long enough to assure himself that no one was actually dying in the room.

There was another audience that, although quieter, was very joyful. Collins, Elsa, Cora, Maisie and Edith stood just out of sight awaiting the dénouement of the drama they had known was unfolding all day. And they were no less happy about the outcome than those in the sitting room.

Elsa was beside herself with the havoc wreaked on her timetable for the dinner meal, but it was, as expected, delicious. And there was a different feeling tonight around the large table in the Thatcher's dining room.

Though it wasn't possible for Nathan and Elizabeth to feel more love than they already did, they were reliving in each other's eyes their own memories; Nathan's extemporaneous proposal in the pergola with a cast on one leg, their family wedding and Allie's adoption, and their night in the Summer Cabin protected by Charlie's dreamcatcher.

William looked down the long table at Grace, and her eyebrows raised in a question. He was gazing at her in a way she remembered from long ago.

As if the sun rose and set in her.


	107. Chapter 107

Nathan knew that Elizabeth had been joking when she'd said William Thatcher might hire him to manage his stables, but in truth, he thought the job might not be half bad.

He knew there was no real difference between the type of horse that has been trained to pull carts, wagons, and carriages, and a horse that's used to being ridden, but Nathan could tell that most of these were not horses that had worn a saddle recently.

The Thatchers were not a riding family, which didn't come as a surprise to Nathan. The horses were considered somewhere just below the servants as far as utility and familiarity were concerned. They were a necessary part of the household, and for their service the family treated them with general kindness and offered them a comfortable place to eat and live.

The horses were cared for extraordinarily well by James, the stablemaster, and they were clearly very healthy and content. James was just about Nathan's age and like him, had grown up around horses on a ranch; but in James' case, it was just outside of Winnipeg. One of the things Nathan liked about James was that being master of a stable like the Thatcher's was not a stepping-stone for him. It was exactly where he wanted to be, and it showed in his work and level of happiness.

The Thatcher stables housed twelve horses, each capable of pulling whatever conveyance was needed, and from the look of the large attached shed, there were many of those.

Nathan smiled, remembering the dinner last week with Charles Kensington and his mother, as they'd praised the "parade" of Thatcher carriages that took them all home one evening after a party. They'd talked at length about the luxury and amenities of the carriages, but not one word was spared for the fine animals that made the carriages move. Nathan had considered asking the value of the most expensive carriage in Hamilton if it wasn't hitched to a horse, but had thought better of it. It was just as well. Some minds were capable of change, some weren't, and Nathan was fairly sure he had been dealing with the latter.

"You're a man who loves horses, sir," James said, coming around the corner with a wagonload of fresh hay for the stalls.

Nathan grinned and sighed. "James, I've asked you a number of times not to call me Sir. I'm much more at home here than I am in that big house."

James laughed. "I believe that."

Nathan reached up and put his hand on the sleek black neck of a large Friesian dray horse who was regally known as King John. Nathan thought he could probably pull five carriages all by himself, but he nuzzled Nathan's arm gently and made him chuckle.

"Well, you're not such a tough guy, are you?" Nathan said, rubbing John's long nose with his knuckles.

James said, "Aw, he's a baby. Scares the pants off most people, but the worst he would do is slobber you to death." He raised an eyebrow. "Or sit on you."

Laughing, Nathan said, "My horse has done both with me."

Nodding, James said, "Thought you probably had a horse. You've a way with them."

James put down the handles of the wagon and pulled a pitchfork from the wall to start laying the fresh hay in the stalls. Nathan looked over and without hesitating, took down a second fork and started doing the same.

James stood and frowned at him, leaning his strong arms on the handle. "And just what do you think you're doing?"

Nathan looked longingly at the wagon. "Please let me help. If I don't do something, I'm going to lose my mind."

James shook his head and sighed, pointing to the stall where Nathan should start. "It's a wonder. Grass is always greener, isn't it? I dream of sitting out there by the fountain and reading a book some days, and then just riding these beauties."

Grateful to be doing some work with his muscles, Nathan smiled. "So do you ride them? I wondered if they ever get out to run and feel the wind in their faces."

"Four of 'em, I do," James said. "They're used to the saddle and like to be given their heads and run. But the others don't enjoy it. Pulling is all they've known, and they seem to be contented with that."

Nathan peered around the low walls of the stall. "So, if I wanted to ride...?" he asked tentatively.

"Sure you could!" James said. "Wouldn't mind the company."

"Who's riding where?" Elizabeth said, squinting into the relative darkness of the stables.

If it had been Viola, James would have dropped his pitchfork and made a little bow to her, but the stablemaster had been hired since Elizabeth left home and he couldn't quite see her as a lady of the house. Oh, she was definitely a lady, but she didn't put on airs the way Miss Viola did, and James genuinely liked both Nathan and Elizabeth.

Right now, the first thing James wanted to do was to get her a chair, because Elizabeth had the look of a woman about to give birth any moment. James had seven younger brothers and sisters, and he _knew_ the look.

And since this wasn't nearly the first visit the Grants had made to the stables, James was ready. He ran to the corner and brought the folding chair he now kept against the wall for precisely this reason.

"Here, Missus..." James said quickly. He noticed that Elizabeth had a decided side-to-side motion in her walk; an observation that a man with less experience might call a "waddle." But James had learned early on that the word didn't go down well with the ladies. Especially not the _really_ pregnant ones.

Nathan had propped up his pitchfork at the same time and now he and James each took one of Elizabeth's arms and helped her down to the chair. Nathan knew that in Carson's daily phone calls, he encouraged Elizabeth to walk whenever she felt she could because there was still a sliver of a chance the babies might turn. On an estate like the Thatcher's, journeying to the stables from the main house was a good long walk.

"Where's Jack?" Nathan asked, kissing her on the cheek.

"He and Buttercup are with Cora. They were right behind me but some butterflies intervened..." she said, catching her breath. "They should be along very soon. Jack has been telling Buttercup all about the horsies again. And no matter how many times he tells her, she hangs on his every word." Laughing, Elizabeth said, "Our little Jack has an ardent admirer." She looked up at Nathan and he was suddenly overcome with how beautiful she was. He leaned down and kissed her neck. "So do you," he said softly.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and James suddenly felt a need to get something from the other end of the stables. He didn't think he'd ever seen two people more in love. James ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his suspenders. He promised himself that when Cora brought the children out to visit, he would finally ask her to get supper with him in town. He'd put it off long enough.

Of course, Nathan and Elizabeth were blissfully unaware that they were inspiring romance all around them. They were just being who they were.

"How was your call with Carson?" Nathan asked, beginning his work again in the stall.

Elizabeth laughed, watching him. "So, my father _did_ offer you a job. And you were so worried..."

Nathan tilted his head and made a face at her. "I'm doing this because if I don't, I'll go out of my mind. I honestly can't have another discussion with Lionel about how hard it is to get good help these days." Nathan suddenly turned to James and said, "No offense..."

James laughed. "None taken. Far as I can see, you're part of the help yourself."

Elizabeth stretched her arms above her head luxuriously. "Oh, it's so much nicer out here than in the house. The smell of hay and horses..."

Laughing again, James shook his head. "Miss Elizabeth, if you'll pardon me saying so, you and Miss Viola couldn't be more different."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "And James, that is the nicest thing anyone has said to me today."

Nathan pulled another forkful of hay from the wagon and said, "If that's the nicest thing you've heard, I need to step up my game a little."

Elizabeth's eyes went soft. "You don't have to say anything, my love." The pitchfork stayed in midair for a moment while they gazed at each other, and then King John snorted loudly, and they both laughed.

"So, Carson?" Nathan asked again, taking the hay into the stall.

"He'll be on his way on Tuesday," Elizabeth said, trying to sound casual. Nathan stopped what he was doing and turned around to face her.

"He's coming? On the train?" Nathan knew it was an inane question. What did he think, he was _walking?_ But as he looked into Elizabeth's eyes, he could see that her reaction was the same. It's getting _real._

"Did he say why, exactly? Why now?" Nathan asked.

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "He said... he thought it was... time," Elizabeth said slowly. She shrugged. "It will take him three days to get here, and he doesn't want to cut it too close."

"That's smart..." Nathan said, nodding distractedly, and stroking the mane on the chestnut mare next to him. Then he put down the pitchfork and walked over to Elizabeth. He bent down so he was at eye-level with her and took her hands. "How are you feeling?"

Elizabeth smiled and raised her eyebrows. "Fine," she said, sounding not fine at all.

Nathan narrowed his eyes a little. "Angel. How are you feeling?" he asked again.

The smile disappeared and small lines formed between her eyebrows. "It's all happening, isn't it?"

James was still working in the stables, though he was discreetly trying to stay as far away as possible. Nathan caught his eye and looked at him apologetically. James nodded, understanding, and he walked through the large doors and found work to do in the paddocks outside.

Elizabeth's eyes began to glisten. "I've wanted to be strong, because I know this isn't easy for you either." She looked down at their hands clasped together over her large belly. "They're not going to turn. I know that now. I've never gone under ether, Nathan. Edith was talking about it because she had to for a gallbladder operation." Elizabeth looked up and into his eyes. "She said it's like... dying. Not like dreaming, because everything just goes black. And then..." Elizabeth shook her head as if she could push the fears away. "...You wake up." She said the last part with an attempt at cheeriness that didn't convince Nathan.

He took her hands. "Angel, remember what Carson said." There was nowhere for him to sit, so he simply got down on his knees in front of her. "The hospital in Hamilton does this all day, every day. It's the first time for you with ether, but it's not theirs. They know what they're doing."

Elizabeth smiled and nodded bravely. "I know." A tear finally dropped and Elizabeth tersely brushed it away. "And I promised myself I wasn't going to do this."

Nathan smiled. "You're not _doing_ anything. I want to know what you're thinking. This is something we're doing together." Nathan knew she just needed a little time to move through these moments. He leaned forward and laid his head next to the twins, with his arms around her. Elizabeth put her hands on his head and threaded her fingers tenderly through his hair while they both listened to the soft sounds of the stables. There really wasn't anything more to say.

Suddenly he smiled and looked up at her. "They're busy today," he said softly.

She smiled at him. "They are."

He rested his chin lightly on her stomach. "It's all going to be okay. You know that, right?"

Elizabeth nodded and put her hand gently on his cheek. "Don't go far away, okay? I feel strong when I'm with you."

Nathan knew how to make Elizabeth laugh, and there were a couple of surefire ways. One was the face he'd made when Jack had giggled at the party after the christening. It almost never failed to get Elizabeth to screw up her own face in response.

The second was something he'd first done without thinking at the schoolhouse when Allie was showing him her class projects. Allie had asked him to stay where he was, and he'd pretended he was a man of stone.

_No _one had ever laughed at that before, not even Allie when she was younger. Why he decided to perform _that_ little pantomime would forever baffle him. That thing that not a soul on the planet thought was funny, and in front of the woman he secretly loved.

But Elizabeth had _laughed._ She'd actually thought he was funny. And it was one of those moments in which he'd begun to hope that she might also be able to love him.

So, on his knees in the Thatcher stables, talking to his wife about some very difficult and scary challenges, Elizabeth asked him not to go away. And Nathan did the man of stone again. And, thank God, again, she laughed.

"That was when I knew you might be able to love me," Nathan said, taking her hands in his again. To her quizzical look, Nathan said, "If you thought the man of stone was funny, I figured there might be more of me that you'd like."

Smiling, Elizabeth said, "I liked it all. There's nothing wrong with wanting to make people laugh. And you're good at it, whether you say you are or not. Just between you and me, I've seen Allie roll her eyes about your dad jokes and then turn around and laugh. You two aren't fooling anyone."

They'd done it. Together they had moved Elizabeth out of one of the melancholy moods that just happened to hit her now and then. Nathan didn't always understand these times, but considering what his wife's body was managing right now, he could allow that things were a little mixed up.

"Mama! The horsies!" Jack came running into the stables with Cora close behind, carrying Buttercup. Nathan managed to scoop Jack up from his trajectory straight at Elizabeth, and he blew air into Jack's neck, making him laugh. "You want to see some horsies? I'll show you a really _big_ horse..." Nathan looked back at Elizabeth, who smiled her thanks. She loved her little boy, but at two, he could be a little rambunctious. And she wasn't moving too fast these days.

Elizabeth looked up from her chair to the stall in front of her that held King John. Nathan now had Jack on his shoulders and Cora was holding Buttercup up so that her little pink fingers could touch the shiny black coat. Everyone was laughing, and Elizabeth looked down.

_Okay, Nate and Becca._ Elizabeth reached out and cradled them with her hands. _It's up to you and God and the doctors, because Mama won't be awake. And once you're here, look for your daddy. He'll know what to do._

Nathan turned and smiled at her and she looked up at him. _Your daddy will know what to do, _she thought again. _And I need to just let go and let God._

Elizabeth smiled back at Nathan, and he saw the peaceful smile he so loved to see on his wife's face.

Elizabeth was thinking how grateful she was for her husband. And she was also thinking that she really liked the view of the Thatcher mansion from the stables.


	108. Chapter 108

William Thatcher could honestly not remember the last time he'd walked out to the stables and the paddocks. The reason he was making this unusual journey on a Thursday morning was that he wanted to talk to Nathan, and clearly this was the best way that could be accomplished. Nathan and Elizabeth spent so little time actually _in_ the house that it seemed the mountain would have to go to Muhammad.

If he'd been asked a month ago how he would make this meeting happen, he would have said that he'd have Collins or Bates, his valet, walk out to the stables and request Nathan's presence in his office. The idea that he would use his own two feet to go and find someone would have been unthinkable. But then, a number of unthinkable things seemed to be happening in his house lately.

Also surprising to him was that he was still at home on a workday morning. He was feeling some urgency to have this conversation and the fact that it superseded an early arrival at the office was also an indication that there was change afoot in his life.

William Thatcher was not feeling quite the king of his castle these days, and the truth was, he minded it less than he would have anticipated. Having all three of his daughters under his roof at the same time was one thing. Having all three of their husbands – or soon-to-be husband in Lucas' case – was another thing entirely. When things are set side-by-side, it's human nature to compare, and William's assessment of the three men in his daughters' lives surprised no one more than himself.

As he passed the bench in the gardens, he waved to Elizabeth and Cora as they talked amiably and watched the children. William found it strange that he again liked the sound of children's laughter out behind the house. It had been a long time since he'd thought of these gardens as being anything other than something to manicure and show off at parties. It reminded him of days long ago when Frau Bustenhaller had sat with the girls as they laughed and played among the box hedges and the hibiscus beds.

Coming around the corner and into the stable, William allowed his eyes to adjust. The scent of fresh hay and the unmistakable but not unpleasant whiff of horse assailed him the moment he stepped inside. Sunlight was reflecting in long stripes on the dust that was being raised as James swept out a stall.

"Hello," William called, hoping not to startle James, but considering the master of the house had never set foot here in the entire time the stablemaster had worked for him, that was largely unavoidable.

James almost stood to attention as he would in front of a commanding officer. "Sir!" he said, dropping his broom and blinking rapidly in the dust-filled air.

William smiled, entirely accustomed to this reaction. He squinted and said, not unkindly, "James, is it?"

"Yes, sir!" James said, bowing slightly. He had absolutely no idea what would have brought William Thatcher out to his stables, but he wondered how it could possibly be good.

"And how are you doing today, James?" William asked. He found it odd that this was a man to which he gave a living, working in a place that he owned, and he had not one piece of information about him in his head, other than his name and that he must do an adequate job or Collins would have spoken about him.

Bewildered, James said, "Fine, sir. I'm doing well."

"Good," William said, nodding and looking around. "That's very good."

"Um... may I... help you, sir?" James stuttered, frowning.

"Yes," William said. "I'm looking for Mr. Grant, er... Constable... Nathan."

Inclining his head to the left, James said, "He's in the paddock with King John. Thought he might like a little walk without a carriage behind him..." James was suddenly aware that he was probably giving Mr. Thatcher too much information, so he abruptly stopped. "He's in the paddock, sir. Just there..."

"Thank you, James," William said, walking in the direction he'd pointed out. "Carry on."

"Y-yes, sir," James said, fighting the urge to salute as William walked past him.

As William passed through the large exit from the stables, he was able to stay in the shadows for a moment, just watching. Nathan always seemed tall and slightly imposing to William and had made him realize that he'd unconsciously surrounded himself primarily with men who were forced to look up at him. Now, in the paddock standing next to the mammoth King John, Nathan looked almost short in stature.

He had his head near the Friesian's massive black nose and was holding him gently around the neck while feeding him what looked like pieces of apple. "Ah, you like that, do you? Sweet tooth..." Nathan said, laughing softly.

After having watched Nathan chafe under the constriction of his ties at the dinner table every night for nearly a month, William was fascinated by the ease with which he stood next to a horse who could clearly flatten him in less than a minute.

William hadn't made a sound, but then, with that almost sixth sense that Nathan seemed to have, he looked up and saw him standing in the shadow of the barn. Neither man spoke for a moment, but to William, it was very clear that while his office was William's comfort zone, _this_ was Nathan's.

Stepping forward, William smiled and said, "I thought I might find you out here."

Nathan didn't move, but smiled back, allowing John to finish off the pieces of apple in his hand. "This is a magnificent horse, Mr. Thatcher."

Walking up to the railing and putting his hands on the weathered strip of wood, William said, "Let's start with that, shall we? Do you think you could call me William?"

Nathan laughed softly in surprise. "Probably not very easily, but I could get used to it..." He took a deep breath and said, "...William."

"I wanted to be called Billy when I was younger," William said softly, raising his eyebrows. To Nathan it sounded like a memory he hadn't talked about in a long while. "After Billy the Kid. We were about the same age, and I couldn't get enough of his stories," William said.

Nathan let go of King John, gave him a light tap on the flank so he would trot off free in the paddock, and then walked slowly over to the railing. "Don't think I would have taken you for a lover of cowboys," he said, smiling.

"Well, that was a long time ago," William said in a way that Nathan would almost describe as wistful.

Then a memory came back to Nathan. "Elizabeth told me that she once asked to be called Lizzie, but it never quite took."

William nodded and smiled. "It's kind of you to phrase it that way, because I'm sure she also told you that I wouldn't allow it." He frowned and looked off at King John. "Why do we do that, I wonder? Something I wanted and didn't get as a child, and then I pass that restriction on to my daughter?" He looked at Nathan and sighed.

Shrugging, Nathan said, "Misery loves company?" and William laughed.

"You know how to hit the nail on the head, Nathan." He looked at him and said, "You know, I'd offer you a job with my company if I thought there was even a ghost of a chance you'd take it." Smiling, he said, "But somehow I think I'd be disappointed in you if you did."

Picking at a splinter in the railing, Nathan smiled. "Well, sir, just the fact that you would ask is enough for me."

Both men stood quietly for a moment, one inside the paddock and one out. Nathan could tell there was a reason for this visit and he was content with waiting to find out what it was. He was in his element and felt no need to hurry the conversation.

William chuckled softly. "You see?" He looked up at Nathan. "Just that. You don't need to fill silences. Do you know that's how I end up getting information most of the time? By letting other people chatter away and tell me things they normally wouldn't?"

Nathan smiled and bit down lightly on the splinter he'd just removed from the railing. "You may have noticed I'm not really a chatterer... William." He laughed softly. "Now I'm tempted to call you Billy, but that would be going too far, I think."

William laughed, and Nathan felt the genuine nature of it. "It might bother me less than you'd think it would." Shaking his head, William smiled and said, "Getting older is... well, it's an enlightening thing. And having you all here..." He stopped and looked out at the paddocks and the sheds beyond.

Finally, after another moment, William got to the point. "I wanted to talk to you about... Elizabeth."

Nathan squinted slightly into the sunlight and waited.

"I'm very pleased you came here for her to have the babies, Nathan. She'll get the best care at Hamilton General. Together, Dr. Shepherd and I know enough people there that... well, in any eventuality..." William's voice trailed off, and he was uncharacteristically unsure of how to continue.

Nathan took a deep breath. "We know there may be complications. We know the odds. Elizabeth knows." He looked down again, kicking some of the sod off of his boots against the railing.

"You're strong together," William said simply.

"We are," Nathan said firmly, looking up at his father-in-law.

"I just want you to know, Nathan, that whatever you need... it's yours. Resources, care... You can stay here, all of you, for as long as necessary, if..." William found himself unable to express what was in his heart. It wasn't a place he often looked to for words.

Nathan looked him right in the eyes, and William was surprised at the fire in them. "All three of them are going to be fine," he said, without hesitation.

William nodded. "Of course they are," he said softly. "But as a businessman, I'm used to anticipating less than ideal outcomes..."

"Do you pray, William?" Nathan asked suddenly.

Looking up, William said, "Yes. Often."

Nathan smiled. "You'll meet my mother sometime. She has a saying. _Work as if there is no prayer, and pray as if there is no work."_ Nathan laughed softly. "Lucas would call that hedging my bets, but I believe we do everything we can to create... what did you say? An ideal outcome? And then, I think God steps in. And in case you didn't know it, your daughter has a direct line to God."

William looked at Nathan thoughtfully. He nodded slowly and gave him a warm smile. "You clearly have this well in hand. You and Elizabeth."

Nathan put his hand on William's shoulder. "And we're so grateful for the love and support of family around us."

William put his hand out for Nathan to shake. "I'm glad to know you, Nathan."

Shaking his hand, Nathan said, "I am, too, William."

Stepping back, William smiled. "Grace and I have decided we need to come to Hope Valley one of these days," he said.

Nathan grinned. "Make it soon. Time goes by fast."

William started his walk back to the house and laughed. "Don't I know it, son," he said.

* * *

Lucas and Julie were sitting with Lionel discussing the finer points of casino management in the south of France when Collins stepped up behind Lucas and whispered in his ear.

"A call for you, sir. The gentleman on the line would prefer that your conversation be handled discreetly so I would suggest you take it in Mr. Thatcher's library."

Julie looked over at Lucas with a question in her eyes.

He nodded as he stood. "Come with me. I have no secrets from you."

Julie smiled, her eyes soft. "It's enough that you would ask me. I'll stay here and learn to play Baccarat. You can tell me later."

Lucas bent and kissed her cheek and followed Collins down the long hallway to the library. "Did the gentleman give a name, Mr. Collins?"

"Dr. Shepherd," Collins said.

"And he specifically asked for me?" Lucas said, wondering why Carson hadn't asked for Nathan or Elizabeth.

Collins turned and Lucas could see the same thing had occurred to him. "Yes, sir, specifically you."

Lucas raised his eyebrows in some surprise. He knew that Elizabeth had a call with Carson every day, but that he hadn't called yesterday as he was on the train. And he should _still_ be on the train, unless he had made a point of getting off at one of the stops and making the call from the station. A situation that would require a special telephone call while traveling had Lucas very curious.

Collins showed Lucas to the Library that adjoined William Thatcher's office. It was filled with leather chairs, books, a chess set and other games set out on tables.

Collins pointed to the phone on the mahogany table. The chair next to it had a perfect view of the gardens behind the mansion, and Lucas could see Elizabeth on the bench with Cora as they watched the two children. He assumed Nathan was at the stables.

Lucas smiled. He admired Nathan's love of horses, and also thought it was a good strategy to remove himself from the Thatcher circus. Lucas found himself genuinely liking Nathan more than he thought possible, or a year ago, even probable. The one thing that could be said about Nathan was that he was authentic, and for man who had been accused of being the opposite for so much of his life, Lucas yearned to be described that way.

Lucas picked up the receiver from the table. "Carson?"

"Lucas," Carson said, sounding slightly breathless. "I don't have much time. The train is stopped in Regina and I've had to wait for this telephone. I'll tell you quickly and then explain further when I get there." Lucas sat down, listening to the background sounds of the train station while he watched the peaceful play of the children outside.

"I'm talking to you because Nathan and Elizabeth don't need more to worry about right now. I had a long conversation yesterday with a friend who is a surgeon at the hospital in Hamilton. This is not common knowledge so please keep it to yourself. There is..." Carson paused while the train whistle blew, giving the five minute warning. "...there is a virus that has hit Canada's eastern coast, they think from Europe, possibly Spain, so it's being called the Spanish flu." He paused and caught his breath. "There's no vaccine and no real treatment other than isolation. It has an extremely high rate of fatality, and the victims are primarily young people in their twenties and thirties, and especially... pregnant women."

Lucas felt a chill go down his back, despite the warmth of the room. He looked out at Elizabeth laughing with Jack and Buttercup and found he was having some difficulty catching his breath.

"The hospital is taking precautions and it's still early, so Elizabeth will be fine there. But there are preliminary findings that the virus is spreading by touch and respiration, breathing, by way of the train system, from soldiers coming from the war in Europe."

"This sounds serious," Lucas said. "And you said it's a... a flu?"

"Yes, that is infecting people who have been on trains, especially going west. And especially soldiers. So we'll need to drive back to Hope Valley after the babies are born. I'm hoping we can borrow two cars from Elizabeth's father.

"From what I've seen, he can spare them," Lucas said. He took a deep breath. "You're saying this virus is in Hamilton, Carson?"

"Yes, so Elizabeth needs to stay on the grounds and have as little contact with others as possible. As I understand it, she hasn't felt much like going into town anyway. When I get there in two days I'll explain more precautions to all of you."

Lucas frowned. "But what about you? You're _on_ a train," Lucas said quickly.

"I'm sitting alone and wearing a surgical mask. I've told people I have a respiratory illness. And I have a bottle of antiseptic with me at all times. I'm being very cautious."

The train whistle blew again, for the one minute warning. "I have to go, Lucas. Please, only you come to pick me up, and wait for me in the car. If any of the family or servants show signs of a fever or flu, keep your distance... I have to go... Don't tell any of this to Nathan or Elizabeth, please. I'll do it when I get there..."

The line cut off and Lucas was left holding the receiver. Lucas' father had lost both of his parents to the Asiatic flu in Munich in 1889, and his father had barely escaped death himself. Lucas had only heard the stories, but his father always had a haunted look in his eyes when he spoke of it.

Lucas shook his head, watching Elizabeth. _Young people and pregnant women. _He sat back in the chair. Lucas had never been firmly convinced that God listened to prayers, but in times like these, he saw no harm in hedging his bets.

_Not Elizabeth,_ Lucas said softly, closing his eyes. He'd never known a better person and one less deserving of the tragedy life had already handed her.

He looked once again out to the gardens. Lucas knew now, in loving Julie so deeply, that he had never felt that way about Elizabeth. But he did care deeply for her, as a good person, and now a sister. He watched her, laughing as Jack ran circles around her with Buttercup close behind.

_Not Elizabeth._


	109. Chapter 109

Elizabeth came through the bedroom door and closed it quickly, leaning up against it as if holding wolves at bay.

Nathan looked up in alarm as he prepared to change into his riding boots. "Who are you running from?"

"Lucas. He's following me around like a puppy dog. I just tried to give Cora a hug and he took my arm and pulled me away to look at the roses." She caught her breath and continued leaning on the door. "You think being engaged is addling his brain?"

Right now Elizabeth was feeling a little addled herself, because her husband was not only bootless, he was shirtless. He had stood up to come to the door to make sure she was alright and she was staring directly into his chest.

"Could you put some clothes on, please?" she said, slightly irritated.

Nathan frowned, knowing that another potentially irrational moment was upon them. But this time he could feel a smile tugging at the right corner of his mouth. He didn't want to let this moment go.

"And why should I do that?" Nathan said, moving slowly toward her.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and said, "Because it's distracting. I'm trying to explain something to you, and... and..."

Nathan moved even closer. "And?" he said softly. He pushed a lock of hair away from her cheek, very slowly. And there it was. The blush. What he was hoping for.

"And..." she said, trying desperately not to react to his proximity, "...I'm having trouble keeping my thoughts straight as it is, and when you..."

Now he was kissing her, light kisses on her neck and up to her ear. Her breath was coming more quickly and before she knew it, she had moved her hands up to his chest, the dark hairs there tickling her fingers, and the muscles underneath...

"This can't be healthy, you know..." she said, sighing.

Nathan chuckled softly in her ear, "Well, I know it's not healthy for me, because there's absolutely nothing we can do about it. But I'm out for a long ride, so maybe I can vent my frustration there."

Elizabeth laughed softly and closed her eyes. "It won't be much longer. These kids are ready. I can feel it."

Nathan kissed her on the cheek, making his way to her lips. The combination of the extra weight of the twins and her rapidly weakening knees caused Elizabeth to buckle a little. Nathan put his strong arms around her and lifted her up. "Whoa," he said laughing. He walked her to sit on the end of the bed, "If I'd known you were this fragile, I wouldn't have teased you."

Nathan brushed her hair back from her face and looked down into her eyes. "Are you okay, angel?"

Elizabeth looked up at him and smiled. She put her hand on his cheek. "I'm fine, really. But they're getting very close. I just know it." She gazed into his eyes, which were turning very blue. "I'm a little... "

"Nervous? Afraid? Excited?" Nathan said softly. "Me too."

"Don't you wish you could... just go forward two or three weeks? With you holding Becca and me holding Nate, and us on the train home?" Nathan thought Elizabeth had a mildly desperate look in her eyes.

He reached his thumb up and smoothed the lines across her forehead gently. "No, I don't. I don't want to miss a minute of this." He kissed her softly on the forehead. "You know how I'm not the best at being comfortable around new people?" He pulled away and smiled at her. "I've never been more excited to meet two new people than I am right now."

Elizabeth laughed. She took his hand and put it on her stomach. "They're pretty excited to meet you too."

Nathan smiled as he felt his son and daughter move. With a deep sigh, he bent down and put his head near them. As Elizabeth leaned back happily, Nathan began humming "The Water is Wide."

She could tell he was feeling ready to sing again, which might mean he would pick up the guitar when they got back home. Elizabeth had heard him occasionally struggling to find the words to the song as he worked out in the paddocks with James, and as he got dressed in the morning.

"Will you sing to them?" Elizabeth asked softly.

Nathan looked up and grinned at her, but kept his head close to them. "I _am_ singing to them. You said they can hear me, right?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, they can hear you. They like it when you do that. They calm down."

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Hopefully that will continue once they're born." He put his head back down and murmured, "Okay, you two. Let your mom rest a little."

Suddenly Elizabeth was so overcome with love for Nathan that she felt the tears start, and one rolled heavily down her cheek. Her breath caught and he looked up at her. When he saw her cheeks were wet he sat up, looking concerned.

"What is it, angel?"

Elizabeth smiled and hiccupped a little in the middle of a sob. "I love you so much. I felt so alone with Jack, and I don't feel alone at all with these two." She put her arms around him and he drew her head down to his chest. She loved the feel of his skin against her cheek and she breathed in the clean smell of soap from his morning bath.

Sniffling, Elizabeth said, "You _really_ need to put a shirt on..."

Nathan laughed softly, already accustomed to how quickly her moods could change. He held her closer. "With all you're dealing with right now, I must say I'm surprised it bothers you."

Elizabeth turned her head and let her lips graze the soft hairs on his chest. "I miss this," she whispered.

Nathan breathed deeply and held her tighter. She could hear his heart begin to race a little. "Okay, you're right, I really need to put a shirt on," he said with a sigh, lifting her up. "Are you going to be okay while I ride? Should I stay here with you?" he asked as he focused on her eyes.

He wasn't fully prepared for the softness he saw there, and he couldn't stop himself from leaning down to kiss her. They both felt the heat of it, and allowed themselves a time of letting go, of remembering. Nathan finally moved and held her as they caught their breath. Taking in the fragrance of her hair, he said, "I miss you, too," his voice low and rough.

Elizabeth laughed softly. "Considering what I look like these days, that's a good sign."

He pulled away and looked at her, his eyes the deepest blue imaginable. "You have never been more beautiful, Elizabeth."

She'd always loved the way he said her name. When he was feeling things deeply, as he was now, it seemed harder for him to get all the syllables out, and it emerged from his lips as _Lizbeth._ As she looked in his eyes she was remembering all the times, at the very beginning, when he had stopped her as she walked away, or had suddenly gotten that look in his eyes of determination.

"Lizbeth," he would say, and then there would be the hesitation, the confusion as he heard that second voice inside his head that urged caution. She'd _really_ wanted to throttle that second voice, and once, in the livery, she'd actually said, "Yes-s-s?" to urge him on. Another time, she'd thought maybe she could joke him out of it, saying "Cat got your tongue?" Neither had worked, of course.

But then, as she walked away for what felt like the hundredth time, hearing him say, "Lizbeth," she had turned, expecting another, "Never mind," or "Maybe some other time." Instead, she was surprised to see him confident, almost easy with it. "Would you like to get dinner with me?" It had nearly knocked the wind out of her, that ease, and she'd been unable to speak.

In that moment, there on the boardwalk in front of the Mountie office, they'd switched places. Nathan was strong and sure, and Elizabeth had felt a sudden empathy for all those times Nathan's emotions had choked his voice - because in the face of his ease, she'd felt unable to say all the things that were welling up in her heart. With a smile, he'd uttered the familiar words that had become almost a tender joke between them, "You let me know." All she could do was nod.

That day everything had changed. Everything. And it had set them both on the path they walked now.

"Say my name again," she said softly.

"Lizbeth," he whispered, knowing how she liked to hear it.

She closed her eyes, letting the sound of it wash over her. Sighing, she said, "You should go so you can get your ride in before it's time to go to the station."

Nathan took a deep breath and looked away reluctantly, searching for his shirt. "I'm not going to the station. Lucas said he's going alone." He stood and finally found the blue plaid shirt on the chair, and she watched as he shrugged easily into it. Elizabeth thought watching him get dressed was one of life's great pleasures.

As he buttoned his shirt, Nathan frowned slightly. "You know, I think you're right about Lucas. He _has_ been acting strangely. He's got that look that I remember from early on, like he's... keeping secrets."

Elizabeth tilted her head. "You don't think he's having second thoughts, do you? About Julie?" Then she shook her head and answered her own question. "No. They could hardly keep their hands off each other at breakfast." She laughed softly, "As _usual."_

Putting an arm through the sleeve of his vest, Nathan said, "Well, there's _something_ going on with him. For a man who plays cards, Lucas doesn't always have the best poker face, you know?"

Elizabeth nodded. She stood up with some difficulty, using the post on the bed to assist her. Walking over to him, she began to button his vest. Elizabeth loved watching him dress, and Nathan loved this. There was something so tender, so affectionate about the way she cared for him.

When she finished and looked up, he was gazing at her.

"What?" she said.

"I love you," he said simply.

"I love you too." Elizabeth took his face in her hands and kissed him lightly as he began to pull her closer. "Let's not get started on _that_ again," she said playfully. "Go ride."

Nathan leaned down and kissed her tummy. "I love you both, too," he said softly. "Be nice to your mother."

Elizabeth laughed and almost pushed him out the door. "Find out what's going on with Lucas," she said.

"I will if I can," he said. "But if a man isn't ready to talk, you can't force him into it."

Grinning, Elizabeth said, "You're preaching to the choir, my love." She kissed him again and closed the door as he walked down the hall.

* * *

"Lucas," Nathan said, finding him in the library, "Can we talk?"

Looking up from his book, Lucas sighed softly. From here he could see Julie in the garden with Cora. Jack and Buttercup, inseparable as always, were in the box hedges chasing butterflies.

Lucas had known this was coming. Two days living with life-or-death information had taken its toll, and Lucas was very glad that it would only be another couple of hours before he headed to the train station to pick up Carson. But as he looked at Nathan's face, he could see that he might not make it another couple of hours.

Closing his book and setting it on the side table, Lucas said, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Why you're so strange around Elizabeth and why you don't want me to go with you to pick up Carson," Nathan said simply. He sat down in the chair opposite Lucas and waited.

Smiling, Lucas said, "You never beat around the bush, Nathan. It doesn't give a man the time he needs to think up a good way to avoid the truth."

Nathan smiled and said, "Yep. That's the point." He leaned back into the soft leather wing chair. "What's up?"

Lucas shook his head. "The Mountie sixth sense is taking hold, isn't it?" He picked a nonexistent piece of lint from his pant leg. "Don't imagine I can say it's nothing, can I?"

"Nope."

"What would you say if I told you Carson will explain it all in a couple of hours?" Lucas said.

"I'd say that makes it even more important that you tell me what's going on." Now Nathan was beginning to look very concerned. "Is this about the babies, or Elizabeth? Is it medical?"

Lucas took a deep breath. "Somewhat."

Leaning forward, Nathan narrowed his eyes. "Listen, I'm not playing twenty questions with you, Lucas."

Finally resigned, and seeing the look on his friend's face, Lucas knew it wasn't fair to keep this from Nathan. In truth, it wasn't really fair of Carson to have asked him to.

Lucas folded his hands in his lap. "The reason Carson wanted me to wait to tell you this is that he will be able to explain it much better than I can. He doesn't want to add worry to you and Elizabeth. He wants you to concentrate on taking care of her."

Nathan was getting impatient. "Thank you, but enough preamble. Spit it out, Lucas."

Taking a deep breath, Lucas said, "There's an... illness. A virus, that is spreading across the country. Carson says it's not common knowledge, and not a lot is known about it yet, but the hospital is taking precautions."

Lucas watched, fascinated, as Nathan went from protective husband and father, to Mountie. This was a steely-eyed strength, he thought, that no one could touch. Lucas had known for a while that he had vastly underestimated Nathan. And for a moment he thought it was no wonder Elizabeth had fallen so hard.

"How does it spread?" Nathan asked.

"By touch and by breathing," Lucas said softly.

"No cure? A vaccine?"

Lucas shook his head. "Not yet."

"Fatal?" Nathan asked, his voice like iron.

"Yes."

"Everyone is at risk?" Nathan asked.

Lucas paused the interrogation, which is what it was beginning to feel like. If this was the hardest part for Lucas to hear from Carson, it would certainly be much worse for Nathan.

Nathan narrowed his eyes further. "Lucas?"

"Young people and pregnant women are most at risk," Lucas said softly.

Nathan had been kicked by a horse once. What he felt now was like that.

Lucas let him think. He saw something that had become pretty familiar to him back in those days of their competition – the tightening of Nathan's jaw, rhythmic, powerful. It was something that Lucas would call a "tell" in cards. Although his face was relatively impassive, it showed Lucas what was going on under the surface. What can't be controlled.

Once he'd given Nathan some time to process, Lucas continued. "There's more, Nathan."

Nathan looked up from his focus on the floor. "Go ahead."

"Carson says they think the virus is spread by soldiers coming over from Europe, and it's making its way through the country by the trains going west." Lucas made sure Nathan was still with him. "He says we have to drive back to Hope Valley."

Nathan sat stock still and only his eyes narrowed. "Lucas. That's over 2400 miles. With two brand-new babies and the woman who has just given birth to them?"

Lucas put his hands up in surrender. "Don't shoot the messenger, Nathan. You wanted to know."

Nodding, Nathan said, "Yes, I did. Sorry." He looked up at Lucas again and raised an eyebrow. "Anything else?"

"No." Lucas was grateful that he'd finished passing on Carson's message. At least the part he had been given.

"But Carson will be getting off of a train this evening," Nathan said. He tilted his head at Lucas, trying to make sense of that fact.

Lucas nodded. "He says he's being very careful. He's wearing a mask and has antiseptic with him. He wanted me to pick him up, but I'm to wait in the car."

Nathan got a suddenly fierce look in his eyes. "Not a _word_ of this to Elizabeth," he said forcefully.

Lucas laughed softly. "Nathan. I didn't want to tell _you."_

That finally snapped Nathan out of the dark place he'd been heading into for the last ten minutes. He took a deep breath and then chuckled softly. He hung his head down with his elbows on his knees, looking at the fine Persian rug under his riding boots.

When his head came up, he was nodding slightly. "Okay, we'll be fine. We can do this."

"We can," Lucas said. "I had Lionel take me out to the garage to see the cars. The Thatchers can easily spare two of them."

"And what if we just stay here until it all blows over?" Nathan said.

Lucas shook his head slowly. "I got the feeling it's worse where there are lots of people. And I also got the feeling that this is not getting better anytime soon. You can ask Carson, but I think Hope Valley may be the safest place for us." He sighed. "Not to mention Julie and I have two businesses to run, and I don't think you want to leave Bill in charge for too long." Lucas raised an eyebrow and smiled.

Nathan smiled. "No. I do not. I appreciate what he's doing, but as it is, I wonder if all my drawers have been rearranged."

Lucas laughed and looked back at Nathan. "For what it's worth, I can't think of anyone I'd feel safer with."

Nathan's crooked smile emerged slowly. "It's worth a lot, Lucas." He put out his hand and Lucas shook it. Then Nathan suddenly laughed.

"What?" Lucas asked.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "I'm _really_ glad I learned how to drive."


	110. Chapter 110

"...So the best way for you to avoid the virus is to drive, and to stay away from railroad towns." Carson looked at Lucas and Julie. "If you decide you need to get back sooner and take the train, I can give you the precautions you need to take. You'll have to follow them very strictly."

The sitting room in the Thatcher mansion was quiet, and those in it were somber. Carson had laid out everything he knew about the Spanish flu, which was considerable. Now they were all simply trying to take it in. Except for Nathan and Lucas, who'd had some time to process the information.

Lionel and Viola decided to stay at the mansion for the duration, especially considering the virus seemed to be coming from Europe.

Lucas and Julie chose to take the train home, but they would reserve two private cabins, take their own food and drink, and would do exactly what Carson told them to do.

Elizabeth, Nathan, Carson and Jack would travel back together by car with the babies.

Carson looked at Elizabeth, far across the sitting room from him. "You and the children will be safe if we drive. We just can't expect to keep their faces covered on the train, and to keep their hands away from their mouths. Jack's activity level puts him at risk too." He looked directly at Nathan, who was sitting so close to Elizabeth that they looked to be practically one person. "And Elizabeth will be healing after the surgery, which is all her body should be doing, not attempting to fight off a virus."

Carson looked at William. "Elizabeth will need to be able to lie down in the car."

William didn't hesitate. He turned to Collins, who was standing a respectful distance behind the sofa, having been asked to join the meeting in order to manage what needed to be done below stairs.

"Please see that the Pullman is made ready for a long trip, Collins. Put extra padding on the back bench, and make sure there are plenty of blankets and pillows." He looked at Elizabeth, his eyes soft. "Whatever you need," he said.

"Thank you, Father," Elizabeth said quietly. "And we'll send the car back as soon as we can."

William was already shaking his head. "No need. We have a shed full of them." He suddenly smiled. "Tell you what. We'll come to Hope Valley and pick it up ourselves." He looked at Grace and squeezed her hand. "Second honeymoon," he said softly.

Julie and Elizabeth looked at each other, unable to hide their surprise and delight at the renewed connection they were seeing in their parents. Viola missed it completely, as she was fully engrossed in securing a comb that had loosened in her hair.

Elizabeth smiled and looked up at Nathan. "I'm really glad you learned how to drive." Lucas laughed softly, having heard exactly the same thing from Nathan just a few hours earlier.

Nathan pulled Elizabeth closer. "Funny how those things work, isn't it?" he murmured into her hair. "Just when you need it, it appears."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "We wouldn't call this a... _sign_... would we?"

Nathan had naturally, as he often did, laid his hand on Elizabeth's tummy, and he suddenly felt it tighten into a surface that felt as hard as concrete. Elizabeth gave a little cry and the entire room turned to her as her eyes went wide.

Within seconds, Carson had picked up the medical bag that was never far from his sight these days, and had crossed the room. By the time he reached Elizabeth he already had his stethoscope out and into his ears. He dropped to his knees in front of her and asked gently, "Was that painful, Elizabeth?" He placed the stethoscope on the thin cotton of her dress and listened closely.

"No," she said, blinking. "Just very strange, as if every muscle just went as hard as rocks."

Nathan looked at Carson, his eyes narrowed. "What was that, Carson?"

Carson was nodding, "The babies are fine," he said, listening. It was getting easier to hear the two distinct heartbeats as they got stronger. He took the stethoscope earpieces out and leaned back on his heels, still kneeling in front of Nathan and Elizabeth.

"They're called Braxton Hicks contractions. They're very common. It's not labor, but it's your body's way of preparing for true labor." He looked at Elizabeth and smiled. "I think we should get you to the hospital."

Nathan took a deep breath, realizing that he had been breathing shallowly for some time. "Now?"

"You have a bag packed?" Carson asked.

"Yes, both of us," Nathan said.

"Now would be good," Carson said, rising to his feet. Nathan was grateful for Carson's calmness, because Nathan's insides felt a little like he did at a hard gallop on a horse. A _really_ fast horse.

Nathan stood and bent down to help Elizabeth up. Her knees suddenly buckled and she cried out as he caught her. Now the look on her face was frightened. "That one _hurt,"_ she said to Carson, who had quickly caught her on her other side.

"Okay, straight to the car," Carson said, his voice moving from calm and quiet to firm and authoritative. Everyone heard the change, and suddenly the entire room was mobilized.

Elizabeth turned. "Julie, watch Jack. He can't come to the hospital. In fact none of you should. Stay here. I know you love me." Another pain hit and now Nathan was simply carrying her.

Collins had already opened the front door and the car was being brought around.

"You know the way?" Carson said to Thomas, the young man behind the wheel.

"Yessir," Thomas said crisply. "Knew this was coming. Practiced it every way to Sunday, traffic or no. Five minutes we'll be there."

"Good man," Carson said, impressed by the efficiency around him. Collins brought out the bags that Elizabeth and Nathan had packed. Lucas, Julie, Grace and William stood on the bottom step near the car.

"Give Jack a kiss for us," Nathan said quickly to Grace, knowing that his little boy was out in the garden with Cora. He also knew how intuitive Jack was, and Nathan was glad that he wasn't seeing all this.

"Many kisses," Grace said, taking his hand. Nathan smiled at her. _Another conquest for Jack_, he thought. The difference in Grace's eyes from the first time he'd seen her to now was almost startling. Grace squeezed Nathan's hand. "And you take care of Elizabeth," she said, her eyes filling.

Nathan squeezed back. "Forever," he said, softly. Then he let go and the car pulled away.

* * *

Carson had surgical masks in his bag, and he gave one to both Elizabeth and Nathan as the car raced through the city streets. "Get used to wearing these. You won't go out in public without them until we get to Hope Valley. People will stare and it doesn't matter."

Elizabeth's pain had stopped and now she was simply feeling breathless from the last few rushed minutes. Nathan started to tie the strings on her mask and she stopped him and held his hand in hers, pulling the mask down. Putting her palm on the side of his face, Elizabeth leaned up and kissed him tenderly, holding there for a long moment.

"I love you," she said, pulling away and looking hard into his eyes. "When we get to the hospital, they're going to take me away and we might not see each other for a while. Then I'm going under ether and..." she took a deep breath, "...there's a chance that I might not wake up."

Nathan started to speak, to tell her that wasn't an option, but she put her fingers on his lips.

"Let me say this, my love." Her eyes were starting to fill, partly from fear, but most of all from the love she was feeling so deeply. "You're an excellent man. You're the sweetest father and the dearest husband I could have hoped for, and if this is all I get, it's been the best life I could have wished for myself. Thank you for loving me so well, and..." Another pain took hold and Elizabeth used all her powers to not cry out. Instead she put her arms around Nathan and squeezed him so tightly that he was certain bruises were forming on his back and neck.

Bruises that he would gladly endure a hundred fold if he could only take this pain away from Elizabeth. It was sheer torture to see her like this and be unable to stop it. Nathan clenched his jaw and looked at Carson as if to say, _do something!_ but Carson only nodded and said, "Breathe into it, Elizabeth. But whatever you do, _don't_ push. You'll want to, but don't." Carson was reaching around from the front seat and rubbing Elizabeth's back gently.

Elizabeth groaned and then exhaled, the worst of it over for now. When she looked up and into Nathan's eyes again, he saw something very different. Steel. The kind of look that can stop a man in his tracks. Nathan forgot to breathe for a moment.

"I know you'll take care of Jack, and Nate and Becca, for as long as you live. I know that." Her eyes went soft. "I've seen them, Nathan, they'll be fine. But I've had a little trouble seeing... myself."

Nathan tilted his head. "Don't say that," he said quickly. "You're going to be fine." Now his eyes were filling. "You have to be," he said, his voice breaking.

"We're here," Carson said, as they pulled up to the emergency entrance to the hospital. Nathan held Elizabeth tightly and whispered fiercely in her ear. "You do whatever you need to get through this, my angel. And I will see you, and Nate and Becca, when it's all over. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone or anything." His voice finally broke down. "You come back to me," he said.

And just in time, because suddenly he was stepping out from the back seat of the car, watching as his wife was being wheeled through the door. He tried to follow as she went through a second door, but Carson turned and shook his head. "Put your mask on, Nathan. Now. Wait here. Pray."

* * *

It was the longest four hours of Nathan's life. He'd lost count of the number of times he'd walked up to the desk and asked the long-suffering nurse if she had any news. He had struggled with anger, denial, tears and the deepest fear he could remember. Losing Elizabeth this way, after losing Sarah, was almost more than he could imagine bearing.

Carson had sent a nurse out right away to let Nathan know that he would be unable to talk to him until after the surgery because the attending physician had agreed to Carson being in the operating room with him.

So, for three hours and fifty-six minutes, there was no news. Only the terror swirling in his head, and the disbelief at the possibility that one, or all three, of the precious lives beyond those doors could be taken from him.

Nathan prayed. Harder than he had ever prayed in his life. He bargained with God. He pleaded. He was grateful that Elizabeth had forced him to listen to her in those last few minutes in the car, because it allowed him to let go of some the things he would be regretting right now. The wasted time, his lack of courage, the words he just couldn't say.

And Nathan forced himself to be grateful for every moment he'd had with Elizabeth, and every moment he'd already had to love Nate and Becca.

As he talked to God, Nathan finally fell into a sort of quiet resignation that could only be described as peace. A sense of peace with whatever was to be. As he sighed with his elbows on his knees and his head hung down, eyes closed, he knew he'd been given an answer. Perhaps not _the_ answer, and not the answer he wanted, but it was an answer.

_It would be what it would be._ And none of his worrying would change an iota of it. And in the same way that meeting Elizabeth was in God's plan, so was this.

So Nathan let go.

And just as he did, the doors opened, and a nurse came out. "Mister Grant?" the nurse said, and Nathan looked up. She had seen eyes that were haunted like these, but never so blue.

"Would you follow me, please?"

"Is everything... my wife... the children... are they...?" He couldn't seem to just ask one question, and so he ended up asking none.

"The doctor will answer all of your questions, Mr. Grant. She pointed out a sink to his right. "Wash very carefully, all the way up your arms. Use this," she said, handing him disinfectant soap. Nathan did as he was told and then followed her through the doors and down a long hallway. Carson was standing with his back toward Nathan, wearing white surgical scrubs.

"Carson..." Nathan managed to say, his heart hammering in his chest.

Carson turned, and Nathan could see he was holding a baby in his arms. And he was smiling. Grinning, actually.

Nathan's heart went into his throat, because Carson wouldn't look like that if there was even an ounce of bad news. Nathan picked up his pace and his long legs covered the distance far faster than the nurse who was no longer beside him.

"Would you like to meet your son, Nathan?" Carson said. He had a trace of tears in his own eyes.

Nathan looked down at the reddest, puffiest little face he'd ever seen. "Nate," he said, almost whispering. Carson raised his eyebrows and held his arms out just a fraction. Nathan reached out to slowly and ever so gently take his son into his own arms. He weighed more and seemed sturdier than Nathan had expected, and Nathan looked up at Carson with a question in his eyes.

Carson laughed softly, "They didn't even need the incubator. Both perfectly healthy and close to full-term weight." He squeezed Nathan's arm and laughed again. "You two know how to cook!"

Nathan laughed too, and a tear made its way down his cheek. Then he looked up and said, "Elizabeth?"

"In there," Carson said. "With your daughter."

Nathan turned and looked through the door. Elizabeth's hair was spread out across the pillow like the corona of the sun, and her face, though very tired, was just as bright. She was incandescently beautiful. In her arms, she held Becca, peacefully sleeping with her bow mouth in a pout.

"Nathan," Elizabeth said softly, her voice rough from the anesthetic. She reached her hand out and took his, and for a moment they both looked at each other in wonder. They were holding their children. _Their_ children. Parts of each of them, here in their arms, and already side-by-side with Jack and Allie in their hearts.

The Grant family, now six.

Holding Nate securely, Nathan leaned down to kiss her gently on the forehead. "They're _so_ beautiful, angel. I love you so much."

Elizabeth smiled happily. "How's the baseball team looking, Constable Grant?" she said sleepily.

Nathan looked down at Nate. "Looking very strong, Mrs. Grant." He laughed softly. "Chance at the pennant, I think."

Elizabeth sighed, her eyes closing. "And I came back to you, my love," she said. She was still fuzzy from the ether. "I know why I couldn't see myself," she said, her voice slurring a little. Looking down at little Becca, she said, "Because I'm in them." She gazed up at Nathan, smiling. "And you're in them."

"I am," he said, moving closer and almost whispering. "Sleep now. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?" she said, her eyelids fluttering.

"Promise," Nathan said. He looked at Becca and then down at Nate, then back to Elizabeth's peaceful face. _Forever and forever._


	111. Chapter 111

Thomas heard it all. Well, most of it.

He wasn't trying to listen, in fact, as a chauffeur he had been trained _not_ to listen, but this wasn't talk of the price of crude oil or the cheapest materials for transatlantic shipping containers.

This was the purest love Thomas could remember, and while one part of him negotiated Hamilton traffic on the way to the hospital, the other part listened to Nathan and Elizabeth face their fears with a courage and honesty that was like nothing he'd ever heard.

Thomas had made good on his promise of five minutes and then suddenly was alone with the car. He did as Mr. Thatcher had requested; he quickly parked and then went into the hospital and found a telephone.

"Yessir, they've taken her in. Don't know where, but Mr. Grant is sitting in the waiting room. Well, not sitting, more like... pacing," Thomas said, looking across a hallway to Nathan as he moved from the window to the chair and back to the window. He thought the poor man looked terrified.

"Sorry, sir, I'll speak up. Dr. Shepherd gave us all masks to wear whenever we're around other people. Yessir, the waiting room is full and Mr. Grant is wearing a mask too."

Thomas nodded, listening. "Yessir. Will do, sir. I'll stay here until I hear something." Taking a pause while William said something else, Thomas frowned in some confusion. "Well, I'm sure you're very welcome, sir. I'm happy to do it." Thomas hung up the phone, trying to remember another time that Mr. William Thatcher, shipping tycoon, had thanked him for doing what he paid him very well to do.

Thomas made sure the front desk nurse knew he was waiting for word about Mrs. Elizabeth Grant, and told her he'd be right outside in the car. She said she would come to the door and wave when there was any news, but that he shouldn't expect to hear for at least a couple of hours.

So Thomas had plenty of time to think. And what he thought about was how a doctor, a Mountie and a woman who had recently given birth were expected to not only drive 2400 miles in a car they didn't know – but also to care for a two-year-old and two newborns. And the longer Thomas thought about it, the more he knew he was going with them.

* * *

After an hour and a half, Thomas called Mr. Thatcher again, and this time he had a proposition for him.

"I know every inch of the Pullman, sir. I can fix anything on it if it breaks down. I can drive sixteen hours at a stretch without batting an eye. That way, when I sleep, one of them can take over, and we won't have to stop unless they want to. I've always wanted to see the West, sir, and well... they're just going to be pretty anxious to get home with those babies."

Thomas shook his head. "No, sir, not an imposition. And you don't have to pay me. I would consider it an honor." Thomas paused. "Well, that would be very generous, but I don't expect it, sir." Thomas looked over at Nathan again. He had his head almost between his knees, and with his eyes closed and his lips moving, Thomas was fairly sure the man was praying.

Thomas thought he might get out to the car and do a little of that himself.

* * *

After about four hours and twenty minutes, the desk nurse came to the door that led out of the hospital. Thomas had looked there so many times that he almost thought he'd imagined her.

He jumped out of the car and was up the ramp in seconds. She was smiling. A good sign.

"Mrs. Grant has two strong, healthy children. A boy and a girl. All three are doing well," the nurse said. Thomas wondered how often she had to give bad news to people, because she seemed pretty thrilled that the news was all good. "Are you a relative?" she asked, starting to walk back to her desk.

"No, Miss, I'm her father's chauffeur. I'm to report back to him," Thomas said, walking toward the public telephone.

The nurse smiled again, even wider. "Tell him he has two beautiful new grandchildren, and that his daughter is awake and doing very well. Mr. Grant is with her."

Thomas nodded vigorously. "I will, Miss. He'll be very glad to hear it."

Five minutes later, Thomas heard the relief in Mr. Thatcher's voice, and then heard him uncharacteristically laugh out loud. A booming laugh that was quite infectious. Thomas found he was chuckling a little himself.

"A boy and a girl, you said?" he asked Thomas. It sounded as if the entire family and some of the servants were around the phone.

"Yessir, a boy and a girl. Both strong and healthy," Thomas said.

Mr. Thatcher said, "They're naming the boy Nathan _William."_ Mr. Thatcher paused, and Thomas wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"After _me,"_ William said.

Now Thomas was entirely at a loss. But there was a space to fill, so he took a shot. "That seems a great honor, sir," he said. And he believed it.

"Yes, it is, Thomas," William said enthusiastically. "Thank you."

The second thank you today, after never hearing it said once in his two-year employ, finally rendered Thomas speechless. Luckily, Mr. Thatcher had more to say. "Ask Nathan... Constable Grant, to call as soon as he can, please, Thomas."

"Yessir, I'll do that." He paused, thinking. "And shall I stay here, sir?"

"Yes. Please be at their disposal. Thank you, Thomas."

_Three times saying thank you?_ Thomas wondered if grandchildren could be credited for changing a person's entire personality.

"You're very welcome, sir," Thomas said quickly, just before the line clicked off.

_Well, life is just full of surprises,_ Thomas thought, still holding the phone receiver in his hand. _Mr. William Thatcher, hard as nails in business, has a soft center for his family. _Thomas took a deep breath and felt the excitement building inside him. _And I'm going west!_

* * *

Nathan had heard about parents who spent hours gazing at their children, inspecting the perfection of an eyelash or the symmetrical curve of an earlobe. And just when that task was completed, there would be the suddenly pursed lips or tiny protruding pink tongue, and it would start all over again.

Nathan was usually a man of action, unable to sit still for very long, yet here in the hospital room as Elizabeth slept, he was developing stiff muscles from inactivity. At one time or another, an arm or a foot had been asleep because he was too afraid to move it and wake Nate or Becca.

Twins look much more alike as tiny babies, regardless of gender. Nathan knew that they would grow up very differently, but for now he was able to see not only how alike they were, and also their individuality, their essence, their uniqueness.

Nathan knew all about being a twin. The desire, early on, to differentiate, while being inexorably drawn together like magnets.

"We will never dress you alike," he whispered softly to Becca. "That's a promise."

"I'm glad we agree on that," Elizabeth whispered back from the bed nearby. Nate was asleep in the rolling crib next to her and she didn't want to wake him. "I think it comes from a lack of imagination," she said, smiling at Nathan.

Elizabeth's smile grew until it was almost a grin. "You look very picturesque holding your daughter," Elizabeth said softly. "I wish I could paint you right now."

She looked over at Nate, whose breathing was strong and even against his curled up little fist. "They're so beautiful, Nathan," she said. Her voice quavered and shook as it often had in these last four days when she spoke about Nate and Becca. She remembered every tiny stage of her pregnancy and the fact that these precious human beings had slowly grown inside her was still something she couldn't quite wrap her mind around.

Nathan looked up, his eyes glassy. "Every parent thinks their children are beautiful, I know. But these two..." He shook his head in wonder. "They're exceptional, right?"

Elizabeth laughed. "You're asking _me?"_ she said. "I'm a little biased."

Becca wiggled, stretching her neck in the way that Nathan had already come to recognize as hunger - and a precursor to wailing. "I think you're up to bat, Mom," he said to Elizabeth. He stood, careful not to jostle Becca. He put his nose down into the warm folds of her neck, giving her kisses. "It's okay, sweet girl, Mom has breakfast ready," he said softly. Elizabeth was already untying her nightgown and pulling one side open.

Nathan placed Becca gently on the pillow that Elizabeth had moved onto her lap to protect the healing sutures there. "Smart girl," he laughed softly to his daughter, as Becca turned her head in exactly the right direction and latched on. The wiggling stopped, and Nathan sat down by the bed with his head on the pillow next to Becca, watching as her tiny fingers slowly splayed out and curled in, over and over.

Elizabeth put her hand on Nathan's head and ran her fingers tenderly through his hair. "She already has you completely charmed, doesn't she?" Elizabeth said. She smiled at him. "What are you going to do when boys come to call?"

Nathan looked up at her. "Well, I'll be fine with it," he said with his crooked smile. "I'll just tell them to come back when she's about thirty-five."

Elizabeth laughed. "You'll be there much sooner with Allie, you know."

Nathan narrowed his eyes and looked at Elizabeth. "Allie's still just a little girl," he said. When Elizabeth continued to smile at him, Nathan said softly, "What are you not telling me?"

Smiling, Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Oh, I don't know. That somehow Robert always manages to sit next to her in class. And when I have the children find a partner, they always seem to find each other."

Nathan's eyes narrowed further.

"Aww," Elizabeth said in sympathy, seeing the baffled look that squashed Nathan's crooked smile. She tousled his hair lightly. "It's going to happen someday, you know that, right?"

Nathan looked down at Becca's perfect toes, wiggling in her happiness. "I remember Allie like this," he said. "I didn't have her all the time until she was four, but up to then, I still saw her a lot." Nathan bent down and kissed Becca's perfect little foot tenderly. He looked up at Elizabeth and sighed.

Elizabeth tilted her head and took Nathan's hand. She drew him up to her, moving him forward until his lips were on hers. They held there, with Becca on one side at Elizabeth's breast, and Nate on the other side, sleeping soundly.

"A_-hem,"_ Carson said from the doorway, grinning. "I can come back later if you want?"

Both Nathan and Elizabeth turned and said "No, no, come in." Elizabeth already had rosy cheeks, but they started to move into a scarlet hue.

Carson stepped in and looked down at Becca. "Both still feeding well?' he asked.

"Ravenous," Elizabeth said, laughing. "Just as you said, every two or three hours. And at about two this morning they were both hungry at the same time and we did what you told us..."

Nathan nodded, "And it worked! I just brought Nate over and put him on the pillow here, and Elizabeth had Becca on the other side... Nate eats faster and then falls asleep, Becca's slower..."

Elizabeth said, "...but then she lasts longer before she's hungry again..."

Nathan said, "...and that's how they got back on different schedules, but for that moment..."

Carson was laughing, feeling like he was watching a tennis match. Then all three of them started laughing, just releasing the joy that was overflowing.

"How much sleep are you two getting?" Carson asked, looking over at the rollaway bed that had been brought in for Nathan and looked like it might end about at his knees when he was lying down.

Nathan and Elizabeth looked at each other and laughed softly. "It's challenging," Nathan said. "The babies wake us up and then they go back to sleep and we're still talking." The soft look Nathan gave Elizabeth was the same one she was giving back to him.

Carson raised his eyebrows. "You need your sleep. We have a long drive ahead of us. And in fact, I have good news..." he said, sitting down in the chair by the side of the bed, "...you're being released from the hospital tomorrow morning. Becca and Nate are thriving and your sutures look very good." Carson sighed and smiled at them. "We can go home. To Hope Valley."

Nathan and Elizabeth looked back at each other, grinning. _Home._ They had now been in Hamilton for over a month.

During that time, Nathan had talked at length on the telephone with Bill about Mountie issues, but their conversations had also segued into other areas; parenthood and navigating the extended stay with in-laws. Nathan was finding Bill to be an increasingly valuable sounding board, mentor, and friend. He missed him.

Elizabeth had talked with Rosemary the most, and both she and Nathan had spoken often with Allie and Archie. They all missed each other deeply, and the entire town was looking forward to meeting its new residents, Nathan William Grant and Rebecca Julia Grant. Bill had all the papers drawn up to welcome them as citizens of Hope Valley.

Before Carson left town, he and Faith had called a meeting to discuss the Spanish flu. Bill had taken charge and had asked townspeople to cancel any plans they'd made for train travel, and all but one had agreed.

Margaret Cooper had stood up and said she'd lived through worse than a little bout of the flu and she would not put off her trip to see her sister in Medicine Hat. She said she went every year at this time and saw no reason to alter her plans.

Bill was already planning to have volunteers at the train station, in masks, ready to talk to anyone getting off at the town. They were equipped with thermometers and formal paperwork mandating an examination, signed by Judge Avery of Hope Valley. Before anyone entered the town, they had to have a clean bill of health from Faith.

So far, Hope Valley had shown no evidence of cases of the Spanish flu.

In later years, Dr. Carson Shepherd would be honored by the Canadian Medical Association in Quebec City for saving a town. Hope Valley would be one of the rare places along the railroad lines that would record only one death, and not even within the town boundaries. A Mrs. Margaret Cooper would pass away in Medicine Hat while visiting her sister, and tragically, her sister would follow her quickly in death. Both would die from the Spanish flu.

But for now, Carson had other news. "Do you remember Thomas, the young man who drove us here to the hospital?"

Both Nathan and Elizabeth nodded.

"He's volunteered to come with us. To do most of the driving, so that we can concentrate on Jack and the babies," Carson said.

"And my father agreed to that?" Elizabeth said, her gratitude showing clearly on her face.

Carson laughed softly. "He's paying him to do it. Although Thomas said he would do it for free. Said he's always wanted to see the wild West."

Nathan laughed. "We may need to get a little _wilder_ to satisfy him. I hope he's not disappointed in our sleepy little town." Nathan's eyes were glistening. How had he ever thought he could live in a place other than Hope Valley? He suddenly couldn't wait to get home.

The three of them were quiet for a moment; Carson missing Faith and Nathan and Elizabeth missing so many. They looked down at the children that had brought them here.

Nathan put his finger out to touch Becca's hand, and she quickly wrapped hers tightly around it. She turned her head and looked at her father with soulful eyes, and Elizabeth pulled her nightgown around her again.

And like clockwork, Nate stirred in the rolling crib beside her and began to cry softly, and it was quickly escalating. Nathan pulled his finger gently from Becca's grasp and reached down to pick up Nate.

"Now you, little man?" he said tenderly, holding his son close. Carson watched, smiling and thinking that Nathan was becoming pretty expert at this. With one arm holding Nate, Nathan moved the pillow into position and kissed his son softly, laying him down at Elizabeth's other breast. Nate's crying stopped immediately and Nathan lifted Becca into his arms. He bounced gently and patted her back until he heard the desired burp and then he made his way over to the changing table. Carson and Elizabeth watched as Nathan changed Becca's diaper, talking and making faces to her the whole time.

When Carson looked down at Elizabeth, she had tears in her eyes. She looked up at him and he saw pure love there.

Carson smiled and nodded, backing quietly out of the room. He had a sudden and undeniable desire to talk to Faith. To tell her how much he loved her. And to tell her that they were coming home.


	112. Chapter 112

They spent one more day in Hamilton. In part to stock up on everything they would need for the trip; and in part because the household, both upstairs and down, had to meet, and cuddle, and watch the sun rise and set on the twins.

Nate and Becca were well on their way to being the most treasured, most spoiled children in the entire city. They were planted on Elizabeth for feedings, but beyond that, they were in someone's arms, and that lucky someone usually had trouble looking anywhere but into their eyes.

Translucent blue eyes, like Nathan's. Elizabeth's eyes had the somewhat chameleon nature of hazel eyes, but Becca and Nate's were the same color as their father's. It was nearly the first thing anyone holding them would say, usually accompanied by a sigh.

Carson, ever the pragmatist, was quick to remind everyone that nearly all Caucasian babies have blue eyes at birth, and that until they were about two years old, no one could know if they would stay. But the popular opinion was that these were extraordinary eyes and that Nathan had passed them on.

Nathan had to keep reminding himself that once they were on the road, it would be short naps only and the relentless need to care for two newborns, so he reluctantly gave up possession of his son and daughter for the full day and night they spent at the Thatcher mansion before leaving. But he and Elizabeth were never far away from Nate and Becca, as the whole family, and most of the servants, were stationed in the sitting room waiting for the latest miraculous sound or movement from the two babies.

The gift Thomas was giving them couldn't be minimized. It would mean that Carson and Nathan could hold Becca and Nate in the Pullman while Elizabeth healed. And if Thomas was truly able to drive sixteen hours at a stretch, they should be home, even with possible delays, in less than a week.

_Home._ The five of them – Nathan, Elizabeth, Lucas, Carson and Julie – missed Hope Valley with a depth of feeling that none of them had ever known for a place. The everyday life, simple pleasures, a greeting on the street or happy news shared on the boardwalk. Bill's crustiness, Lee and Rosemary's never-ending well of love for Violet, Florence's nosiness, Molly's sweetness, Ned's steadiness, Fiona's laugh... the list went on and on.

And though Nathan and Lucas had the love of their lives with them, Carson was missing Faith profoundly. Not only because of his love for her, but also because she was putting herself at risk daily at the train station, testing and questioning every person wanting to enter Hope Valley. Carson knew better than anyone how serious this was, and how very serious it would become. Faith was on the front lines of a war, and from the alarmingly rising numbers of cases, he was afraid the virus was winning.

So as they gazed in wonder and a measure of peace at the two miraculous children being passed from loving arms to loving arms, the displaced residents of Hope Valley had every reason to want to get on the road.

They were also keeping open the possibility of taking the short detour up to Airdrie to see Rebecca and Charlie. Charlie had been released from the hospital at his own request, though the problem with the artery in his heart hadn't been solved. Now that he had decided against a surgery that had a less than ten percent chance of survival, Charlie wanted to go to the tribal elders and work toward a healing.

Carson had read about First Nation healing ceremonies. He knew that, along with herbs and other natural compounds, the ceremonies were incorporated into a complex wellness system that yielded surprisingly good results for the tribe. And Carson also understood that the statistics for the type of surgery Charlie needed were not promising, even in a modern hospital like the one in Calgary, so Charlie really had nothing to lose. In truth, every time Nathan called Rebecca, Carson was ready to console and explain – he had spoken with Charlie's doctor, and the stark fact was that, barring a miracle, it was probably only a matter of time.

So, as Becca and Nate quickly worked their way into hearts, there was talk of little but new life – but in the back of many minds were thoughts of illness, worry and death.

And all of them knew that this was simply the bittersweet nature of the human existence.

* * *

Rebecca understood. She wasn't a member of the tribe, and she knew and accepted that she would never be able to enter that world with Charlie completely. He had done what she'd asked and exhausted all the possibilities of modern western medicine, and now he was going home to his people for a time. And she knew she couldn't follow him.

Rebecca's respect and affection for Charlie had grown so incrementally over the nearly thirty years she'd known him that it was hard to know when it had turned to love. Certainly after Archie left, and never before. But once she'd been alone for a while, she found she liked it when Charlie stayed for supper and helped to clean up after. They had fine conversations together, and he had been gazing at her in a different way for long time before she noticed it.

When she did notice, she found she longed to be held again, to be cherished the way Archie had once done. Archie was her first and only love, and it was only her passion and deep love for her husband and the father of her children that allowed her to take him back so many times, hoping he'd changed. Once she'd crossed that bridge and closed the gate, it was a short journey to Charlie's arms.

And now, as she watched Charlie pull himself up into Nugget's saddle, she waved, fighting the tears that she knew would shatter her once he was out of sight. He said he'd be back soon, but Rebecca was a highly intuitive woman, and if nothing else, she was a realistic one. She had kissed him goodbye and was giving him back to his people, and she simply couldn't shake the feeling that with his people is where he would stay.

When he was out of sight, the tears fell. Rebecca knew that for every hello there was a goodbye, but why did it always have to come sooner than she wanted? Being the pragmatic woman that she was, Rebecca set herself to her chores and simply did them while sobbing quietly. Being alone in the house allowed her to talk to God in her out-loud voice, sometimes pleading, sometimes angry, always grateful.

"Yes, I know those babies were born easier than any of us thought, but if You could send Charlie back to me in one piece, I'll try not to ever be greedy again," Rebecca said, leaning on the broom to bring her apron up to wipe her nose. "And yes, I know I've asked a lot of You in my life, and You know better than anyone else that I'm not likely to stop..." Rebecca took hold of the broom again and swept fiercely through the kitchen. "...and..." She stopped suddenly, letting the tears have control for a moment and speaking almost in a whisper. "And if You have to have Charlie, could You have Sarah waiting for him?" Rebecca sat heavily into a chair at the dining room table. "He always had a soft spot for her. It might make it easier..."

Taking a deep breath, she wiped her eyes on her now-soggy apron. Standing, Rebecca took the broom in hand again. "Whatever happens, it will be Your will," she said, more firmly. She looked up to the beams in the ceiling. "And You always know better than I do."

Rebecca started sweeping again, and her tears dried. Before long, she was humming, and the song was "Amazing Grace."

* * *

Lucas and Julie had a train to catch. They listened to Carson's instructions one more time, nodding, and let him know that they would do exactly as he said. They would arrive in Hope Valley in three days, and had promised to leave their cabins only when absolutely necessary, and only with masks and antiseptic. Elsa was sending them with enough non-perishable food for the days on the train, and although it wouldn't be elegant, it would be sufficient for good nutrition. They had adjoining cabins with a door between, which raised some eyebrows among the staff, but was a comfort to everyone, knowing they'd have each other for company on the isolated trip.

Thomas wasn't allowed to leave the main house until the trip began, and Carson had watched him very closely. He wasn't showing any signs of illness. One of the chambermaids, Bessie, had developed a fever and was being cared for in the room above the carriage house, but none of the other members of the household seemed to be infected. Groceries and other necessities were being delivered, and William Thatcher was feeling he'd worked his whole life for the wealth and privilege that was now offering this kind of protection to his family and household.

"We won't telephone you on the way, just to be safe," Lucas said, shaking Nathan's hand. "But since you'll be calling Bill every day to check in, we can talk in three days. From Hope Valley."

Nathan and Lucas looked at each other for a moment and smiled. Right now they were light years away from the two who had stood in the middle of the street, awkward and contentious, watching as Elizabeth walked away, as she always seemed to do when the three of them met self-consciously. Both men knew it had turned out just exactly the way it should have, and found themselves grateful not only for their blessings of love with a good woman, but also for their newfound friendship.

And in that gratitude, without thinking, both pulled the other into a hug; unselfconsciously and not in the least awkward. "Thank you, Lucas," Nathan said, taking him by the shoulders. "Safe travels."

Elizabeth was watching and her smile told the whole story. She leaned up and gave Lucas a kiss on the cheek, something he had once wanted so badly, but was now worth so much more. He pulled Julie closer and the four of them wordlessly said a last goodbye before Lucas and Julie stepped into the car.

"See you in Hope Valley!" Julie said brightly. She looked at her sister holding Becca and the tears started to form in both of their eyes. "Love you, sister," Julie said. "Take good care of those babies." Her eyes twinkled, "Especially little _Julia_ Rebecca..."

Elizabeth shook her head, laughing. "You and Rebecca will have to work that out, Julie. But it _is_ Rebecca Julia on the birth certificate, so I fear she may have the upper hand."

Julie reached out and touched Becca's soft cheek from the car's back seat. Her eyes spilled over from too many goodbyes, and as the car pulled away, Lucas folded her into his arms and held her.

* * *

Rosemary was singing Violet to sleep in her arms and doing what she often did at naptime. She had positioned the rocking chair at the window facing the Grant's home, with the pond and the church beyond.

She missed them so much. Talking to Elizabeth simply wasn't enough, and the joy that there were two new babies to love and hold was only dimmed by the fact that they were so far away and embarking on what seemed a perilous journey.

Rosemary kissed Violet's cheek, feeling for any extra warmth, as she often did these days. She didn't venture out of the house as much as she usually did, preferring the safety of their home and the lessened chance that Violet might become ill. Lee still went to the sawmill every day, working with countless people, and he did everything he could to ease her mind. She'd purchased a thermometer early on as a part of the batch Carson and Faith had procured, before the need for them across the country had made for delays and shortages.

Every night as he came home, Lee would stand at the door and use the antiseptic there, while holding the thermometer firmly between his lips. Only after he was certain that he was fine would he enter the house and hug his wife and Violet.

To some, it might seem excessive. But some had no idea how deeply and desperately Lee and Rosemary loved their little girl. Whatever control they had exercised at the beginning was a distant memory. They loved Violet to distraction and she couldn't be any more their daughter if Rosemary had actually given birth to her.

Rosemary was in frequent contact with Frances and Harold now that Brookfield had a telephone in the hotel, and Bill had contacted Gabe early on to share the precautions they were taking in Hope Valley. Gabe had duplicated them in Brookfield, and their nurse, Maggie Parsons, was helping to control the flow of visitors to the town. Not being directly on a railroad line made the task much easier.

The help Lee and Rosemary had given Frances and Harold had allowed them to thrive, and Harold was now working full-time at Joe's General Store and paying his own way at Mrs. Mayfair's boarding house. Frances had started school in Cloverdale nearby, making the daily trip with the dairy wagon. The added benefit was that Frances was enjoying her conversations with Steven, the wagon's driver, and it seemed he was sweet on her as well. Rosemary could hear the growing confidence Frances was feeling with every telephone call. It was time for another call, and Rosemary thought she would arrange to have Frances go to the hotel this evening so they could talk.

Violet stirred a little in her arms, and Rosemary held her more tightly. She could see the soft smoke rising from the chimney in the sunroom, and imagined Allie, just home from school, sitting there on the swing with Archie as she told him about her day. Laura was doing a wonderful job with the children, and seemed such a natural at teaching that it was a wonder she hadn't filled in before.

Only a week, hopefully, and the house across the way would be full of laughter and activity again. Rosemary would be able to walk the path between, which was now overgrown with spring weeds, and Violet could play with Jack, who she missed badly. She would often point out the window and wonder where her friend was, and Rosemary would be very glad to see _her_ friend as well.

A town is only its people, after all, and without Nathan, Elizabeth, Lucas, Julie and Carson, Hope Valley was missing some very significant pieces. It was unspoken, but there had been a _waiting_ aspect to the past month. Waiting to hear about the twins, waiting for Le Bistro to open again, waiting for Faith to have her Carson back, waiting to see Nathan, Elizabeth, Allie, Archie and Jack as a family again. And Rosemary prayed that the wait would be over soon.

Rosemary heard the door and turned, surprised to see Lee in the middle of the day. Because of his precautions, they had foregone the usual lunchtime meetings for now, and Lee had lunch at his desk in town. She turned and saw a look on his face that she couldn't decipher; a combination of grief, joy, and bafflement all battling for prominence, one and then the other.

"What is it?" she said softly, not wanting to wake Violet, but seeing an urgency that required her to stand and look at him, her eyebrows in a questioning frown.

"I... I got a phone call. _We_ got a phone call. From Brookfield," Lee said, wiping down his hands and arms with antiseptic and speaking around the thermometer in his mouth.

Rosemary's heart sped up. She knew Lee so well, and this was a look unlike anything she'd ever seen. It did not look like good news, but then, there was an undercurrent of something she couldn't understand, of wonder, of happiness. It was nothing if not confusing.

Lee looked at the reading on the thermometer and said, "Normal." He looked across the room and said, "Rosie?" and she motioned him to come forward.

"From Brookfield? Is everything okay. Frances? Harold?" Rosemary asked, her eyes becoming slightly frantic.

Lee took hold of her arms and kissed Violet softly on her downy hair. He looked like he was near tears.

"Tell me," Rosemary said, steeling herself, her mouth in a hard line.

"Frances took ill, Rosie. In school, in Cloverdale." Lee reached out and pulled both of them into an embrace. Finally letting his emotions go, he said in a broken voice, "It was very fast."

Rosemary pulled away, her eyes wide and beginning to fill. "No!" she said, now waking Violet, who opened her eyes and began to whimper. "No!" Rosemary said again, unwilling to believe what he was telling her.

Lee looked into her eyes. "She left papers with Gabe a few months ago. If anything ever happened to her, she wanted to be sure that we could have Violet. Legally." A tear rolled down his cheek.

"She's ours, Rosie. Violet is ours."


	113. Chapter 113

Elizabeth was healing faster than anyone could have hoped. Carson thought it was due to pure happiness, because it certainly wasn't anything he was doing. He'd stopped checking her incision from the surgery and she was clearly having no trouble feeding two growing babies, even living in a cramped automobile.

For the first day of driving Elizabeth had spent most of her time lying down in the comfort of the padded backseat bench of the Pullman. Thomas had worked out the best way to close in the usually wide open sides of the station wagon by rigging canvas held tight with snaps, offering warmth and privacy on the road. Carson was usually in the front seat with Thomas, and Nathan and Elizabeth used the back bench to sleep and the middle one to care for Jack and the babies. The far back trunk of the wagon had only the things they needed for the week-long trip, as Lucas and Julie had taken everything else with them on the train.

Thomas had been true to his word and was able to drive sixteen-hour shifts, only stopping when his passengers requested it. When he finally needed to sleep, he would move to the back bench while Carson or Nathan drove for a few hours.

Thomas and Carson spent much of the time deep in conversation. When Thomas was a young boy he had dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, but his father died early and school was out of the question. Instead he learned to repair automobiles in order to support his mother and sisters.

"It's not that much different," Carson said, holding out his arms to take Becca from Nathan after a diaper change. "It's a matter of moving parts that break down, and we fix them," Carson said, smiling. "Doctors and mechanics are pretty much the same."

Thomas laughed softly. "I suppose that's true," he said, nodding while keeping his eyes trained on the dark road ahead of him.

"You're still a young man," Carson said, "How old are you? Thirty?"

Thomas nodded again, "Thirty-one last November," he said.

"Veterinary school isn't out of the question, is it? You said your mother remarried?"

"Yes," Thomas said, "To a good man. He supports the family now."

Carson smiled, settling Becca into his arms and rocking slowly side to side. "You have your whole life ahead of you. It will be happier if you find a thing you love to do."

In the back seat, Elizabeth smiled and leaned forward a little. She was feeding Nate and Nathan was in front of her, holding a sleeping Jack on his chest. "Carson is such a good person to talk to," Elizabeth whispered. "He's interested in everyone."

"He's especially interested in people's hopes and dreams, have you noticed? It's like his dream of being a doctor was almost lost to him, and he doesn't want that to happen to anyone else."

Elizabeth looked at Nathan and touched his cheek in the darkness. "I love how you notice things." She raised her eyebrows. "You always have."

Nathan let his lips graze across Jack's blonde hair. "I'm starting to notice what kind of a big brother this one is going to be," he whispered, grinning at Elizabeth. "Aren't you?"

Jack had shown himself to be a natural protector with Violet, but where Nate and Becca were concerned, he was obviously considering it his full-time job to make sure they wanted for nothing. Almost before a cry or a soft whimper left their mouths, Jack was looking with concerned eyes to his mother and father, and if they didn't respond fast enough, he would tug at them, saying "Mama, milk," or Dad, baby." He had Nate's name down already because it was so close to the name he'd used for Nathan for so long. He'd tried Becca's name with a little more difficulty, and had simply settled on "baby."

Nathan and Elizabeth were fascinated watching Jack negotiate his new big brotherhood from the confines of an almost perpetually moving vehicle. He seemed always to know where the twins were, gazing over his perch on the middle bench of the wagon with his toys around him. He would check to be sure they were safely held when they were too quiet, and cared for immediately when they weren't.

And of course, being an active toddler, there were times when Jack simply had to get out and use up some of his energy. He would find a way use his growing vocabulary to make his needs known. "Stop" was direct and to the point, and when elaboration was needed, it was "Stop. Ball," or "Dad play." Nathan was always grateful to be able to get out and stretch his long legs, and would toss a ball with Jack while Elizabeth walked gingerly with Carson, trying to get her stamina back. All four of the adults learned to do nearly anything with a twin in their arms, and Thomas was always ready and willing to hold them when he wasn't driving.

So the early days of the Grant twins were spent without bedding or cribs, but instead in the warm and loving arms of everyone around them. And Nathan laughed, wondering if they would find it difficult to adjust to a world that wasn't constantly moving.

At each stop, a call would be made to Hope Valley, and part of that call was for Thomas to get the information for the next stop from Fiona. She was researching small towns away from the railroad that had a phone and a petrol station. She would talk with the operator in each town and let them know the Pullman was on its way and arrange for a place for Elizabeth and Nathan to wash diapers, purchase food and get gas. The little troupe of travelers had no idea how they would have negotiated their journey on back roads without Fiona's help.

So, in this way, the first four days of their trip progressed. They were on a path parallel to, and just south of, the train lines that led from Hamilton to Hope Valley. On the third day their usual phone call to speak to Fiona and either Archie, Allie, Rosemary or Bill, was joined by Lucas and Julie. They had stepped off the train and been subjected to all the tests Faith had performed on each visitor to Hope Valley. They'd followed Carson's instructions to the letter, and it had paid off. They were given a clean bill of health.

Rosemary had let the travelers know about Frances and the bittersweet news that Violet was now completely theirs. Maggie, the nurse in Brookfield, currently had Harold quarantined due to his contact with Frances. He seemed to be healthy with no evidence of fever, but Maggie still wouldn't allow him to work at the General Store for at least a week. The truth was, he was grieving badly for his daughter.

Harold was absolutely in agreement with Frances' wishes for the Coulters to have Violet, but he'd expressed a desire, once he knew he was free of the virus, to come to Hope Valley for Violet's christening and adoption ceremony. Since both Lee and Rosemary's parents were gone, Harold would be her only grandparent, and they were anxious to welcome him once Maggie had determined he was well.

Losing Margaret Cooper was difficult for the town, but she had lived a long life. Frances' death, and the daily news of rising cases, had pulled everyone up short. It made folks feel vulnerable, and they redoubled their efforts to keep Hope Valley safe. Relatives were told not to visit for a while, trips were cancelled, and Faith's word held the same weight as Bill Avery's as far as the laws of the town were concerned.

Beyond having missed the integral puzzle pieces of their schoolteacher, their Mountie, and their doctor, the town of Hope Valley missed Elizabeth, Nathan and Carson deeply. Each day, news of their progress traveled throughout the town, with Fiona as the hub of the wheel. Stories were shared - at Abigail's and the saloon, at the Mercantile and after church - of their latest stop and how Jack and the twins were faring cooped up in a vehicle together. A minor replacement of a spark plug by the side of the road produced solemn looks and grateful nods toward the one person of mystery on the journey, Thomas. The Thatcher chauffeur's bravery and good heart were widely celebrated for volunteering to shepherd the travelers safely home.

They had reached the tiny town of Coaldale, only about twenty hours from Hope Valley, when a phone call to Rebecca yielded the sad news about Charlie. While with the Blackfeet, he had followed the natural life cycle into death, peacefully and surrounded by his people.

"I knew it, Nathan," Rebecca said on the telephone from the Airdrie Post Office, her voice strong and clear. "I cried when he left, and I put him in God's hands. I knew I wouldn't see him again." Nathan was finding himself more distraught than his mother, because although he'd understood the odds, he'd been too full of joy about the twins to fully take in all the possibilities.

"The Blackfeet don't handle death the way we do," Rebecca continued softly. "They brought him back and we needed to return him to the earth right away." Now she did allow herself a small quaver in her voice. "We laid him underneath the white willow up on the hill yesterday, just as he wanted. He's next to..." Nathan heard his mother take a deep breath, and he found he was taking one with her, "...next to Sarah and little Nathan. Just the hands and me, and Pastor Grady. Charlie would have liked it, I think... he _did_ like it..." Her voice trailed off, and Nathan said brokenly, "Mom, can you hang on for a moment? I'll be right back."

Nathan covered the receiver with his hand and looked at Elizabeth, who was standing next to him. She had been listening with him, and he simply raised his eyebrows and she nodded. "Absolutely," she said, her voice muffled by the mask she wore.

"We're coming up, Mom. It'll probably take us about six hours to get there. You and the hands have stayed away from the train station and have worn masks in town the way we told you, right?"

"Yes," Rebecca said. "The stationmaster took ill last week, and folks are beginning to catch on that this is serious." She took a breath, "Nathan, I can't ask you to delay getting home..."

"You're not asking. We're coming up. We're so close. No argument, Mom."

"I don't have the strength to argue," Rebecca said softly. "I want to hold those babies more than I want my next breath."

"We're on our way. We'll be there as soon as we can," Nathan said. His voice broke slightly, "I'm so sorry. I love you, Mom."

"Love you too, Nathan. You be safe with that sweet family of yours and I'll put the stew on. You must be ready for a real supper and a feather bed right about now."

Nathan laughed softly, "You have no idea how good that sounds. See you soon," he said. He hung up the receiver and leaned his head against the wall. They never brought the babies in with them when they made phone calls, just to be safe. Elizabeth was in the rare position of being able to circle her arms around his waist and lean her head on his back.

Nathan sighed deeply. "I'm going to do everything I can to get her to come home with us," he said softly. "We'll just have to make do with everyone until we get the house built out back." He turned around and folded Elizabeth into his arms. "The plans are all ready and Lee even has the lumber set aside now that it's coming up on spring."

"It's a wonderful idea," Elizabeth said against his chest. "Nate and Becca will give her new life, Nathan." She turned and looked up at him. "You okay?"

Though she couldn't see him smile, she could see the corners of his eyes crinkle slightly. "Charlie and Sarah next to each other again." Nathan nodded. "Yes," he said, holding Elizabeth tighter. "I'm okay."

* * *

It actually only took them five hours to reach Airdrie and another fifteen minutes to get to the ranch. Carson, ever vigilant, went to Rebecca first and spoke to her while he checked her temperature. Not until he determined that she was as healthy as ever did he allow Elizabeth and Nathan to take the babies up the steps to the porch.

Carson and Thomas carried their things into the house, preparing for the first night with a hot meal and sleeping in a soft bed since leaving Hamilton nearly five days ago.

Nathan, Elizabeth and Jack joined Rebecca on the porch swing and they all huddled together around the twins. It was close to sunset, and none of them even bothered to wipe away the tears that glistened in the soft yellow glow that lit their faces. Whether they were tears for the loss of Charlie, or the fact that Rebecca again had twin babies in her arms, or happiness at seeing each other, didn't really matter.

What mattered was that they were all together again. And Rebecca knew, looking at this sweet family, that there was nowhere else she'd rather be.


	114. Chapter 114

"I haven't heard a rooster in more than a month," Elizabeth mumbled into her pillow. She tried to open one eye, but gave it up, because it was still dark anyway.

Nathan reached up and put his arm around Elizabeth, pulling her gently toward him. She snuggled her head down on his chest, moving closer in the warmth of the feather bed. They spoke softly, hoping not to wake the twins in the crib next to them.

Jack was in with Rebecca for the night. First and foremost, to allow Jack some semblance of a regular sleeping routine; Elizabeth and Nathan had to get up every couple of hours for feedings and changings, but Jack didn't. The second reason was that Rebecca needed the distraction and the comfort of her grandson, who couldn't be completely aware of the grief she was feeling but was still intuitive enough to reach out to someone he loved very much.

Nathan kissed Elizabeth's tousled hair. "You know, a rooster only has one job," he whispered. She could tell he was smiling by the sound of his voice. And she was so used to these talks snuggled in bed with Nathan that she knew it was probably the crooked one.

Elizabeth sighed and wiggled closer. "And you're saying I should just let him do it," she said. Nathan could tell she was pouting.

Now the full smile broke out across his face and Elizabeth could just barely make it out in the soft sunrise coming through the windows. "Can't see as you have much choice in the matter." And just to make his point, another loud crow split the silence of the barn in the distance.

Elizabeth laughed softly. "Always the realist," she said. Then the pout was back. "But you know I'm only asking for a little sympathy," she said.

"Awww," Nathan said, looking down into her eyes. "I'm sorry the rooster woke you up, angel. How about..." he said, moving a wayward curl from her face, "...we see if Becca and Nate will have breakfast together and then I'll take them out to the kitchen. Mom and I can watch them and you can sleep." The golden glow on her face was so beautiful that Nathan couldn't help leaning down to kiss her gently on the forehead.

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "You would do that? You have to be as tired as I am," she said, yawning hugely.

"I'm not having to _provide_ their breakfast," Nathan said. "We need to keep your strength up."

Elizabeth laughed softly. "I must admit I'm feeling like a kindred spirit to Lizzie the cow these days."

Nathan couldn't stifle the full laugh that escaped, and of course, Becca stirred and began to cry.

Still laughing, Nathan planted a full kiss on Elizabeth. "Now you've done it, Lizzie," he said, throwing back the covers.

* * *

"It's always such a miracle when we get them both fed at the same time, and can get some real sleep," Nathan said to Rebecca, sipping on his coffee.

Jack was on an early-morning nature walk with Carson, and Nathan and Rebecca sat at the harvest table, each with a twin asleep on their chests – Rebecca with Becca and Nathan with Nate. They would say it was a random choice, but each loved that the child they held shared their name.

"You say that as if I don't know exactly what you're talking about," Rebecca said, raising an eyebrow. "I never could get you and Sarah on the same schedule. I'd feed one of you, and the minute I closed my eyes, the other one would commence wailing."

Nathan laughed softly. "Does it help if I apologize now?"

Rebecca nodded. "It does. And they say that your children never really appreciate what you've done for them until they have children of their own." She looked down at a sleeping Becca. "They're such good babies," Rebecca said softly, kissing Becca on her soft curls. Unlike Jack, who was born a blonde and had stayed that way, Nate and Becca seemed to have inherited their father's dark hair, curls and all.

Nathan had the look that seemed permanently stamped on his face these days; an appealing mix of wonder, unbridled joy and a softness that Rebecca loved. He looked directly at her, his eyebrows raised and eyes wide. "I can't believe they're mine, Mom. I would stand in front of a... a _train_ for them. For Elizabeth, for Allie, for Jack." He shook his head, looking down at Nate. "I didn't know there was this much love _in_ me."

Rebecca laughed, and tears began to form in her eyes. "It's always been there." She reached her free hand out and laid it on her son's hand. "Seeing you like this makes me happier than I can ever remember being." She tilted her head. "And these two remind me so much of you and Sarah. Two little dark curly-headed blue-eyed babies." She looked up at Nathan and smiled. "What a road you have ahead of you. What a wonderful road..." A tear slipped down her cheek, and she brushed it away unselfconsciously.

Nathan put his hand over hers. "We're going to need help, Mom."

When Rebecca looked up, she could see that Nathan's eyes were very blue. She narrowed her own eyes slightly at him. "Don't pity me, Nathan."

Nathan took a breath and nodded. "Okay, no pity. Just practicality. Two newborns, a toddler, an adolescent girl, a Mountie's job, Elizabeth still healing, and a farm to run. How do we manage all that?"

If Nathan knew anything, he knew his mother. She wouldn't respond to his wanting to help her through her grief, but she would respond to him needing her. The two of them stared each other down for a long moment, and finally, Rebecca raised one eyebrow. Nathan could have been looking in a mirror, because he was doing exactly the same thing.

Finally, Rebecca allowed a short laugh to escape. "You're playing me, and that's okay, because you're doing a fine job of it," she said. She nodded and said, "You don't even _know_ how much help you're going to need, and I already promised I'd come do that for a while." She smiled softly at her son. "But I don't get the feeling you're only talking about a _while."_

Nathan gave her just the hint of a smile back as he contrived to straighten Nate's little gown. "Only until they're... oh... about... _twenty?"_ He looked up and blessed Rebecca with his most charming crooked smile.

Rebecca shook her head, smiling. "I know you're not going to like hearing this, but you've got some of your father in you, boy. That's the look that Archie would give me and I couldn't say no to save my life."

Nathan laughed. "Well, I can hear it a little easier now that I know him so well and I can see he's reformed." He looked seriously at his mother. "He really has, Mom. I know every day that he regrets everything he lost. He's so good with Allie and Jack, and he helps in really important ways with the farm." Nathan sighed and frowned a little. "I've let myself love him again, and..." Nathan closed his eyes and shook his head. "You realize when you allow yourself to love someone, how much energy it took to keep from doing it."

Rebecca smiled and raised her eyebrows. "That is a _very_ wise thing to say, Nathan."

Nathan laughed softly, "Yeah, that's me. _Wise._ I did everything I could to keep Allie away from Archie, and I almost turned my back on Elizabeth a few times. Sometimes I think I'm just lucky people don't give up on me too easily."

"They don't give up on you because they know you're worth it," Rebecca said softly. "You're a good man. And that's the finest compliment I can give you."

Nathan smiled back at his mother. "Thanks, Mom. That means everything coming from you." Sighing, Nathan said, "You know, I think not being _right_ is one of the hardest lessons for me to learn." Smiling, he said, "Elizabeth has helped me with that. She just asks me, gently, to step off of a position for a minute, to look at it. And if I still think it's right, she'll support me. But most of the time, we come to the right answer together."

Rebecca's eyes softened. "I don't think I've ever seen a better marriage, Nathan." She raised her eyebrows. "Or two people more in love." Looking down, she could see that Becca's eyes were open and she was simply taking in the world around her. She cradled her granddaughter and moved her down off of her chest and into her arms. "And Lord above, you two make _spectacular_ children," she said to Becca, nuzzling the soft folds of her neck.

Rebecca looked up at Nathan and took a deep breath. "Yes. I'll come with you. The hands can run this ranch just fine without me for a time. I'm not promising anything, but I don't look forward to walking around, and eating meals, and watching the fire in the evenings without Charlie. I'll be better off being busy..." she looked down again at Becca, whose bright blue eyes were following her every word, "...and I know these two will keep me plenty busy."

"I love you, Mom," Nathan said, softly.

Rebecca reached out and cupped her hand on his cheek. "No sweeter words a mother can hear," she said. "I love you, too, Nathan."

* * *

When Elizabeth finally emerged from the bedroom after three luxurious hours of uninterrupted sleep, she found Nathan and Rebecca lying on the floor on a huge quilt they'd spread out in front of the fireplace. The twins were between them while they talked softly. Nathan's finger was being held tightly by Becca's tiny hand, and she was just now beginning to stretch her neck in the way she did when she was hungry. Nate, who was quickly emerging as the laid-back twin, was looking up into Rebecca's eyes, and curling his fists in her long ponytail.

"Well, that's a picture," Elizabeth said softly. She was cradling her breasts with a slightly pained look on her face. Raising an eyebrow, she said, "I don't know if they're ready to eat, but I'm ready for them to..." She sat down on the sofa and began arranging pillows around her.

Nathan and Rebecca were quick to respond. Rebecca especially. "Oh, I remember that feeling..." she said, laughing softly as she placed Nate on one of the pillows. Nathan looked at his mother and said, "I've been given other frames of reference, and it doesn't sound too comfortable." He settled Becca on the pillow on Elizabeth's other side. Within moments, Elizabeth's face relaxed and she sighed, closing her eyes and leaning back on the sofa. "I promise, I will never make Lizzie wait to be milked again..."

Rebecca laughed out loud. "And to think I worried for about a half a second before I met you that you might be a Hamilton princess." She leaned down and kissed Elizabeth's cheek. "You are a treasure."

Nathan was already heading into the kitchen. "Mom, you still have herb tea?" he asked, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

Rebecca tilted her head at her son, heading into the kitchen to help him. "When have I not had fresh dried chamomile flowers in this kitchen, Nathan? And you know how to make the tea," she said, pointing to the kettle with hot water on the back of the stove.

Nathan looked back at her and narrowed his eyes slightly, and she laughed. "You _sure_ you want me to come live with you?"

"Ooh, good! You're coming?" Elizabeth said from the sofa.

"Yes, honey, I'm coming," Rebecca said.

"The house isn't built yet, but Nathan said it shouldn't take long," Elizabeth said, adjusting Nate slightly.

"You're building me a _house?"_ Rebecca said, raising her eyebrows suspiciously at Nathan.

Nathan was suddenly engrossed in pouring the hot water over the chamomile flowers he'd found in a tin on the counter. "Not _your_ house, just _a_ house. For anyone who might need it." He shot Elizabeth a look and she said quickly, "Yes, for _anyone._ My parents, or... _anyone,"_ she said, trailing off a little feebly.

Luckily for Elizabeth and Nathan, Carson chose that moment to come through the door with Jack, who was clutching two bunches of fresh wildflowers, one in each hand.

"Mama," he said proudly, holding one bunch out for her. Elizabeth took them and said, "Awww, my sweet boy. _Thank_ you!" But by then, Jack had moved on from the flowers and was solemnly giving a kiss on the head to Nate and Becca, one right after the other. "Babies," he said softly. Once he was certain they were okay, he turned to Rebecca.

"Gamma, flowers..." he said, reaching the second bunch up to her.

Carson took off his coat and put it on the rack at the door. "The flowers were his idea," he said, grinning. "And there's certainly no shortage of them out there." Carson looked at Rebecca and sighed. "I forgot how beautiful this ranch was."

Rebecca nodded. "It is beautiful." She tilted her head at Carson. "And so is Hope Valley, as I remember."

With a nod, Carson said, "That it is." His eyes went soft, and everyone knew he was thinking of Faith. Everyone also knew that Carson was the one who had given up the most for the side trip to Airdrie. He would be in Faith's arms this minute if they hadn't detoured.

Rebecca took a deep breath. "I can be ready in an hour or two. Nathan, if you can ride out and ask Seth to meet me here as soon as possible, I would appreciate it. I'll give him instructions..." Rebecca muttered, "...as if he needs any. The boy runs this ranch as it is..."

Nathan handed Elizabeth her tea and kissed her softly. Then he bent and kissed Nate and Becca. In truth, he was looking forward to a ride after all the days cooped up in the car. But because he knew that Elizabeth was also deeply missing riding, he just gave a breezy nod to his mother.

"Sure, I can do that," he said casually. He looked down at Elizabeth and she grinned at him.

"Enjoy yourself, my love," she said as he ran out the door, letting him know she knew how anxious he was to take Sunset up to a canter.

Carson, clearly pleased at the way things were progressing, looked around the room. He raised an eyebrow. "We seem to be missing someone," he said.

Elizabeth laughed softly. "Oh, let him sleep up to the very last minute." She looked up at Rebecca. "Thomas has been incredible. He's driven more miles than I can count, without a moment's complaint. That feather bed must feel like heaven to him right now."

Carson nodded. "He deserves it." His eyes brightened. "And I miss Faith so much that I might just drive us all to Hope Valley myself."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and looked down at Nate and Becca. "We're going home," she whispered.


	115. Chapter 115

The small group of travelers made it to Hope Valley that evening, and the welcome they received was something the likes of which Thomas had never seen in his life.

They'd made good time, and although Carson had offered, Thomas felt like driving after his long, comfortable sleep in the feather bed in Airdrie. It was significantly more crowded in the Pullman with Rebecca and her luggage, but what was also very evident to Thomas was the increased level of energy as they moved ever closer to Hope Valley.

Carson had called Faith the minute they'd arrived at the Post Office in Airdrie to let her know what time they thought they would be there. Not only did he want badly to hear her voice, but Carson also wanted to be sure Faith had everything she needed to put them through her tests out on the main road at the boundary to the town.

What Faith hadn't counted on, and what Thomas could never have dreamed of, was the crowd that began gathering. It started with Florence and Molly and Clara, who simply couldn't wait to get their hands on those babies. Then Julie and Rosemary wandered over with Violet. Lucas, with his usual thoughtfulness, had chairs brought out from the saloon for the ladies' comfort. Allie and Archie, with Jessie, Stella, Laura and most of Elizabeth's classroom were next, and as it began to take on the atmosphere of the Founder's Day Carnival, Bill had Clara and Stella set up some tables with lemonade and popcorn.

The only thing missing was the brass band. Rosemary tried to suggest they get their instruments, but Hickam dawdled, and before they knew it, a dust cloud in the distance let them know the car was nearing the town.

A cheer went up, and for a time it was pure torture for all parties on either side of the town limits as first Carson, and then, one by one, the travelers were cleared. Faith and Carson wanted to hug and kiss each other more than could be expressed, but both set an example by waiting until the standard questions had been asked, "have you had a fever, cold, or aches?" and the thermometer had done its duty. Once Carson had been given the go-ahead, he got his hug and kiss, and then he began helping Faith to screen the others. Before much time had gone by, the large group of townspeople had enveloped the occupants of the Pullman into a sea of Hope Valley love.

Not surprisingly, most popular were Elizabeth holding Nate and Nathan with Becca. Nate slept through the early greetings, noise and all, and Becca simply stared, undaunted, with her perfect mouth set in a perpetual O, her deep blue eyes blinking, looking prettier than a baby should ever hope to look.

Archie and Allie were the first to get hugs, and Allie took Jack's hand as the two of them walked with Jessie. Jack told them all about the trip in their special language, and they told Jack everything that had happened while he was gone.

Archie went right to Rebecca. "I'm so sorry, Beck," Archie said, his face a mask of compassion. "I loved him too."

Rebecca put her arms around him, the tears starting. "I know you did, Arch." She pulled away and took a deep breath. "If he had to go, it was the best way possible. He was with his people."

Archie nodded. "Glad you decided to come. Thought you might have decided to be stubborn and stay on the ranch."

A small smile broke through Rebecca's tears. "And when, Archie Grant, have you ever known me to be stubborn?"

Laughing, Archie looked over at Nathan, surrounded by the group that had already fallen in love with Becca. "Twins," he said simply, his eyebrows raised. He looked back at Rebecca and she smiled back at him. "Twins," she said softly.

Slowly, the group began its walk toward the Queen of Hearts, which is where they all knew they were going. Lucas and Bill had already anticipated the movement and were transferring the chairs and refreshments indoors. It was just coming up on the dinner hour, and the travelers were hungry and tired. Gustav, always aware of any need for sustenance, had anticipated a crowd and had a huge pot of stew ready, with plenty of fresh-baked bread.

Everyone else in the car had imagined some version of this welcome, but Thomas was stunned speechless. He was not only greeted as a member of the traveling party, but everyone was shaking his hand, thanking him for his kindness, vigilance and service. He lost count of the number of times he heard his name spoken by a stranger who was clapping him on the back and telling him how much they appreciated what he'd done.

It would be impossible to relay here every conversation, every embrace, all the tear-filled eyes, and how full-to-bursting Nathan and Elizabeth's hearts were to be home again.

Apart from the townspeople's love for each other, there was so much gratitude in the air; Carson for Faith's steadfast and exhaustive attention to everyone's health, Nathan for Bill's unwavering watchfulness as his replacement in the Mountie office, Elizabeth's appreciation of Laura's caretaking of the children. Everyone was simultaneously happy about Violet's upcoming adoption by the Coulters, and sad for the loss of Frances. The same was true of their joy at seeing Rebecca with her beautiful grandchildren, while still mourning the loss of Charlie, who had managed to work his way into the heart of the town in a very short time.

But there was food, and music, and there were so many stories to tell; about what had happened in Hope Valley while the travelers had been gone, and all that had happened in Hamilton and Airdrie.

And at the center of it all, the newest residents of Hope Valley – Nathan William and Rebecca Julia Grant. They were the stars of the show, and they bore the responsibility with grace and very little fussing. The two babies were passed from loving arms to loving arms, and if they could understand how many times they were called exquisite, stunning, magnificent, and every other adjective possible, they would have known beyond a shadow of a doubt what little miracles they were.

Of course, hunger won't wait, no matter how many compliments you receive, so when they began to need a calm, quiet place, Elizabeth kissed Nathan and told him she was going to the sitting room at Abigail's to feed them. She tapped Rosemary, who brought Violet, and Allie, who brought Jack, and they walked over together.

Inevitably, they were joined by Florence, Molly, Rebecca and Clara, who seemed to be hypnotically pulled to the twins. So except for Jack, Abigail's sitting room was filled with women, and Elizabeth was reminded of a time not too long ago.

As the women chatted and some played with the children on the floor, Elizabeth looked at Florence, Molly and Clara, and they all knew what she was remembering. A time in this very sitting room, when things had been so different. Elizabeth's grief had been so raw right after Jack died and they had sat with her, talking of their own process of moving through the loss of their husbands. They had assured her there was a better time for her on the horizon, and though it had been hard for her to believe at the time, Elizabeth knew now that every word they'd spoken had been true.

She looked at each of them in turn and her eyes filled. The love of these women, all of them, had gotten her through. Having just been in Hamilton, Elizabeth was more aware than ever of how hard life could be in a frontier town. She remembered her first moments in Hope Valley, with Florence and Molly and Abigail, and how they had allowed her to find her way. Then, they, along with Clara, had shown her a path for her grief, and now, without Abigail, they celebrated with her in this glorious happiness.

Time heals. People come and go. And through it all, joy finds a way.

* * *

Nathan remembered what it was like to come home to Hope Valley after his time in Airdrie. He remembered every time he'd come home, actually, even from a night away in Brookfield or Buxton. But this was so different.

It had been a long time since Nathan had felt this kind of concept of _home_, and in a way, he wondered now if he'd ever really understood it.

Airdrie had always been home, but it had so many colors; of his childhood and innocence of the ways of the world, his natural desire for independence and to break away as a young adult, and especially, the loss of Sarah and watching his father go to prison. Airdrie held all of that for him and always would.

But Hope Valley, now inseparably joined with Elizabeth and the children, with its people and its traditions, and with the joy he saw all around him, made him understand something.

They were all threads in this tapestry. Each one a different color, a different texture, each necessary and unique – and when you stood back from it, they comprised a whole, beautiful picture.

Nathan had found a corner of the saloon, as he often did in gatherings like this, where he could observe. He knew it couldn't last long, because very soon someone would find him. But for now, he looked around him.

He knew many of the women were with Elizabeth, drawn like magnets to her and to the twins, so what he saw was heavily weighted to the side of the men. Nathan had lived primarily with women growing up, his father absent and with no brothers. The Mounties were a brotherhood and Nathan knew that in part he was drawn to the profession for that aspect of it, but now he knew his life here in Hope Valley was also filled with the influence of the men around him.

His father, of course, now a part of the tapestry, and the man Nathan always hoped he would be. Bill, who was emerging as a valued mentor and friend, with strong overtones as a supportive, fatherly figure in his life. Lee, solid and steady, with an ability to talk on any subject while still being the best of listeners. Lucas, who couldn't be more different from Nathan, but who was rapidly establishing himself as a person Nathan could trust and who made him laugh, a man he admired for his ability to move through the stereotypes he'd been saddled with in a new town.

Then, as he looked around, he saw Hickam huddled with Stella, both of them obviously in the throes of budding love. Jesse, fully adjusted to married life, and as close to a brother as Lee could have. Ned and Gustav, both solid as rocks and such necessary parts of the weaving of the town. Kevin with Fiona, talking to Carson and Faith, the four of them looking like the natural future of Hope Valley for many years to come.

"You let me know if you want to stay in whatever world you're in right now, and I'll just mosey along..." came a voice behind him.

Nathan turned and Bill was grinning at him. It was a face and a presence Nathan knew he would never want to turn away. He put his arm lightly around Bill and grinned back. "This is quite a town," Nathan said, taking a deep breath.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "You're just figuring that out?"

Nathan chuckled. "It's been dawning on me slowly," he said, looking back out at the celebration.

They both looked for a while in silence. Then Bill took hold of Nathan's shoulder. "They missed you."

Nathan smiled gratefully at Bill. "It's a good thing, because it became pretty clear that I'm not a Hamilton man."

Bill laughed. "Ah, yes. And how did you leave it with your in-laws? It sounded like William started to warm to you?"

Nathan nodded, "They both did, and I warmed to them. They're good people, and they love their daughter. I don't need much more than that." Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Elizabeth's sister Viola never got past the lukewarm stage. I don't really have the right pedigree for her, I'm afraid."

"How much time did you spend out in the stables?" Bill asked, cutting to the chase.

Nathan laughed. _"Way_ too much time, but..." he turned to Bill, "...have you been there?"

"Never had the pleasure," Bill said.

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "It's something. The stablemaster, James, is my age, and..." Nathan nodded to Bill, "...in another life? That would be a place I'd love. Money is no object, and those horses are cared for better than a lot of people I know. They have a Friesian dray horse there, King John, who is this tall..." He put his hand up above his shoulders, "...just a massive head, and such a baby..." Nathan looked at Bill, who was smiling with his eyes narrowed.

Nathan stopped, hearing himself. With anyone else, he would be saying, "What?" right about now. But not with Bill. Nathan smiled back and shrugged, raising his eyebrows.

"I missed you, Nathan," Bill said softly. He looked out to the saloon and all the people in it to cover the tiny wave of self-consciousness he was feeling. "And I don't miss many people." Bill took a breath and said, "You remember the conversation we had at Christmas on your front porch?" Bill asked, still looking at the crowd.

Nathan nodded. He remembered every word. It was when Bill had told him that he was glad Elizabeth had Nathan to watch over her. It felt like a passing of the torch, a way for Bill to let him know that he trusted Nathan with his most prized possessions.

"I seem to recall that I let you know that you had my respect, and that I was glad to see Elizabeth feeling joy in her life again," Bill said. He raised his chin slightly and looked at Nathan. "I want to tell you now..." he paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. "...I guess I want to just say that I'm glad you're my friend. Apart from Jack Thornton, apart from Elizabeth, and apart from little Jack. It stands alone, Nathan. Our friendship."

For a man who generally had trouble speaking his feelings anyway, Nathan was simply unable to form a coherent sentence. How much this meant to him couldn't be understated, and he was horrified to find himself blinking back a trace of tears. Embarrassed, he looked down at his shoes. "And _I_ seem to recall," he said, forcing his voice to cooperate, "you also said I shouldn't go soft on you." Nathan gently nudged the wall molding with his foot, trying to regain his composure. "You're not making that easy, Bill."

Bill looked back out at the large room and gave Nathan time. In truth, he was giving himself a little bit of time too. Finally, Bill spoke.

"So. Nathan _William," _Bill said casually. "And we're going to let Elizabeth's father think it's for him, but we know who that little boy is _really_ named for, right?"

Nathan grinned, still looking down at his shoes. "Right." Nathan looked over, feeling more in control. "We always want you in his life, Bill."

Snorting, Bill said, "As if you could keep me out of it..."

Nathan laughed and said softly, "As if we could."

Bill finished off his beer and placed it on a nearby table. "Well, Constable Grant," he said, reaching his hand out. "I hereby transfer the duties of Constable of Hope Valley back into your capable hands." He winked. "And good riddance. I'm tired of climbing up that tree for Esther Sutherland's cat."

Laughing, Nathan said, "A Mountie's work is never done, Bill. You should know that."


	116. Chapter 116

**Epilogue**

Elizabeth and Nathan settled back into the routine of their small farm in Hope Valley, and the house managed to fold in the twins and Rebecca nicely. In fact, Elizabeth and Nathan had no idea how they would have managed without Rebecca, Archie and Allie to help with the children.

Until the little guest house in the trees was completed for Nathan's mother, she had taken the room across the hall from Archie's. Nathan had to admit there was a surreal nature to stepping out of his bedroom at the end of the long hall and seeing his parents chatting amiably in the hallway, or coming upon them at the harvest table, laughing over coffee. If it told him anything, it was that nothing was really over until it was over.

"What's going on with those two?" Nathan finally asked Elizabeth, as they lay in the dark of their bedroom. It was their favorite time of night, after everyone was fed and tucked in, and they could cuddle together and share their thoughts on the day. Tonight was one of the rare occasions when Jack and the twins gave them the gift of being asleep at the same time, and Elizabeth and Nathan never wanted to waste the opportunity for one of their talks, whispering in their feather bed with the moonlight streaming in.

Elizabeth chuckled. "You don't know?"

Nathan sighed. "Am I the last one at the party again?" he said, shaking his head. He turned and looked at her in the half-light. "Please don't tell me my parents are falling in love with each other," he said with a groan.

"Okay," Elizabeth said, snuggling into his warm neck. "I won't tell you."

Nathan brought his arm up and laid it across his eyes. "Oh... there's a reason children are usually born after all this happens."

Elizabeth laughed. "It's romantic! They're adorable together, and you can tell they never stopped loving each other."

"Stop! Please," Nathan said, but now he was laughing too.

"Would you rather they were at each other's throats? They could be, you know."

Nathan released another huge sigh. "No. I don't want that." He turned and kissed Elizabeth on the forehead. "Just give me a little time to get used to the idea and I'll be happy for them."

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his chest and hugged him tighter. "Good for you. I love that about you. You may need a little time, but you always make the right choice."

Nathan groaned again.

"What?" Elizabeth said, looking over at him.

"When the house is built out back... am I going to catch my father sneaking out there? I already have my hands full with Allie and Robert up in that treehouse..."

Elizabeth laughed softly. "Oh, my sweet love..." she kissed him on the cheek. "You don't have to be in control of _everything,_ you know? It's got to be exhausting. I know it's the Mountie code or something, but sometimes you just have to know that everything will work out on its own. You've raised Allie with good sense and you can trust her. And your parents?" Elizabeth ran her fingers gently through his hair. "Love is a wonderful thing in any form. And especially when two people you love end up loving each other."

Nathan turned suddenly and pulled Elizabeth to him and kissed her. A long, slow kiss that had them both breathless when he finally moved her head gently to his shoulder. He whispered fiercely into the softness of her hair. "I can't imagine my life without you, angel."

"You don't need to," she said, catching her breath. "I'm right here. And I always will be."

Nathan pulled away and looked into her eyes in the light of the moon. "Promise?"

Elizabeth kissed him tenderly. "I already have," she said.

* * *

Carson and Faith loved their evening walks, and they were especially welcome these days. For the two weeks Carson was gone, Faith had been alone in managing the screening of everyone coming into Hope Valley, while still trying to keep herself healthy. Carson knew he had put a lot of responsibility on her, and he also knew she had handled it flawlessly.

"We're a good team, Faith," Carson said as they walked back from the church to the town. It was a full moon and the evening was cool, but not cold.

Faith looked up at him. "We are," she said. "But I _missed_ you." She looked out at the pond and the lights shining in the windows at the Grant Farm. "I knew why you had to be there, and I'm so happy for Elizabeth and her wonderful family. And those beautiful babies," Faith said softly. She stopped for a moment and put her hand on Carson's cheek. "But I was so glad to see the car come around the corner."

Carson bent to kiss her and felt her shiver a little. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and they held there for a time, listening to the crickets in the meadow and the frogs singing out on the pond.

"You're cold," Carson said, rubbing his hands up and down on her arms.

Faith laughed, "No, I'm happy. I thought a lot about doing this while you were in Hamilton." She turned and threaded her arm through his as they started walking again.

"We've spent so much time apart," Carson said. He turned to her. "Sometimes couples drift apart with distance..."

Faith smiled up at him. "Are you asking me how I feel, Carson? Because I think I love you more every day, whether you're here or not. We work together, we spend evenings together, we never stop talking..." Faith laughed again. "There's so much I always want to tell you, you're the first person I think of in the morning and the last person I think of at night."

They passed the Queen of Hearts as they entered the town again. They could hear the piano playing, and happy voices raised in conversation and laughter. Carson was uncharacteristically quiet, and Faith stopped in the middle of the street. She turned him so his face was in the full light of the moon and said, concerned, "What is it?"

Faith's heart started pounding when he still didn't answer. She was suddenly afraid that perhaps she was feeling more than he was, perhaps he hadn't missed her quite as much as she'd missed him.

Perhaps she'd said too much.

"Carson, I..." Faith started. And then, in the middle of the street, in the light of a full moon, Carson bent down on one knee and looked up at her.

If Faith's heart was pounding before, now it was in danger of beating right out of her chest. She put both hands up to her mouth. "Oh," she said softly. Behind Carson, she could see Ned Yost pulling displays in from in front of the Mercantile. He stopped and looked, and then Fiona came up behind him and she stood still, watching. Faith looked around, and there were people on all sides of them who were looking curiously at them. To be fair, they were absolutely in the middle of the street and Carson was on one knee.

Carson looked around too and laughed. He shook his head and looked up at her. "Do you know where we are?" he asked.

"Yes," Faith said. "It's where you first kissed me in public, and..." she turned and looked behind her. "Florence and Molly were right there..." She turned a little further and laughed, "But now, they're there..." she said, seeing that Molly and Florence were on the boardwalk and had also stopped and were staring.

The door to the saloon opened and the music and laughter got louder as Jesse and Clara stepped out and stopped in their tracks. And now Carson really had a problem because Kurt Lawson's wagon was heading toward them.

"Stop!" Faith called out to Kurt and he pulled the horses up. She looked down at Carson and laughed again. "You'd better get on with this, or we're both going to end up in the Infirmary," she said quickly. "And not in a good way."

Carson laughed and dug into his pocket, pulling out a ring box. He opened it and said, "This is good, because I can't remember everything I planned to say anyway." He took a deep breath and glanced up at Kurt who had an eyebrow raised and looked impatient.

"Don't take all night with it," Kurt called out, but a smile was forming in the corner of his mouth as well.

Carson took Faith's hand. "Faith Carter, I love you so much. I love your huge heart, your brilliant mind, your sweet smile... I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please say you'll marry me."

Faith could hardly see Carson through the tears that were filling her eyes.

"Say yes!" Kurt said, now laughing.

"Yes!" Faith said, pulling Carson up off of the ground and kissing him. He held her tightly, joyfully, and then took her hand and led her over to the boardwalk, saying, "Thanks, Kurt!"

"Congratulations! _Hup..."_ Kurt said, getting the horses started again as the wagon lumbered by the happy couple. Once Kurt was beyond the saloon, Faith and Carson could see just how many people were standing around, and Jesse started the applause. "Well done, Carson! Very dramatic!"

Lucas and Julie had stepped out of Le Bistro to see what was going on and now they stood, arms around each other watching Carson and Faith's engagement unfold in the middle of the street. Lucas looked at Julie in the moonlight and leaned down to kiss her. He held up her hand and kissed the ring he'd given her at Christmas.

"I have half a mind to spirit you away and marry you tonight," he said, his eyes sparkling.

"I wouldn't say no," Julie said, raising her chin almost on a dare. "Henry left his car with you." Julie raised an eyebrow and smiled rebelliously. "You know it's always my _favorite_ thing to do what people _don't_ expect."

Lucas narrowed his eyes and looked over at Bill Avery's office.

Julie took hold of his chin and turned his face back to her. "No, that would be boring and predictable." She bit her lip. "And we are _not_ boring and predictable."

Lucas lifted her up and hugged her tightly, making her giggle. "Then I say..." he said, looking around as if they were spies, "...we get Henry's car and go wake up the Justice of the Peace in Benson Hills. I'll tell him it's an emergency... A marriage emergency."

Julie laughed and kissed him. "I love you. No one could be better for me than you. I can't wait to feel just like this forever."

Lucas held her tightly. "I love you too, my Julia. Life with you will always be an adventure," he said, looking at her in wonder. Then he took her hand and led her back into Le Bistro. They would tell Gustav and no one else. And they would spend the night, married, at the Benson Hills Hotel.

Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Bouchard, joined due to a marriage emergency, which was basically because they loved each other too much to wait.

* * *

Pastor Zeke had now become a fixture in Hope Valley, so it wasn't out of practicality that Rosemary and Elizabeth decided to have Violet christened along with Nate and Becca. They just couldn't imagine doing it any other way.

Elizabeth had truly missed Rosemary and their long talks while she was in Hamilton, especially with so much going on with both of them. So the path between the houses was now cleared, in part because of Nathan and Lee's hard work, but most of all because there seemed to always be someone on it to trample the grass. The children running back and forth, or Rosemary pushing Violet in her stroller, or Elizabeth doing the same with Nate and Becca going the other direction.

And that was a sight to behold. Before Nathan and Elizabeth left for Hamilton, Nathan had put the finishing touches on a gift for Elizabeth. She believed he was still working on the second crib for the twins, but he'd finished that long before. Nathan was fashioning a double stroller for the babies. He'd had Ned get him two strollers, and through ingenuity and his natural skill, he'd managed to create something that Elizabeth could use to transport Nate and Becca through a town that quite simply couldn't get enough of them. It could sometimes take her an hour to move from the Mercantile to the church road.

Elizabeth usually missed school in the summers when it wasn't in session, and now that Laura was teaching the students, Elizabeth thought she would feel the same way; but she didn't. Jack, at two-and-a-half, was strong-willed, while simultaneously an utter joy to be with. Elizabeth loved watching his mind work, and no longer did she have to come home from school to find he'd said four new words or was able to reach up to the counter in the kitchen.

Now she saw it all, and that, in combination with watching as Nate and Becca seemed to grow before her eyes, made Elizabeth as happy as she could remember being. And when folks asked if she missed teaching, she would look at the three children and say, laughing, "When did I stop?"

Allie and Jessie would often come with them on walks, but they also had a wide circle of friends. Elizabeth was watching Nathan as he slowly released his grasp on Allie, so necessary for so long, but no longer needed. Allie was a smart and good-hearted girl who clearly knew right from wrong, as Jessie did. The fact that Robert Wolf had a terrific crush on Allie, and she was beginning to have glimmers of the same, was just another stage that Nathan had to move through. Allie at fourteen was becoming a young woman, but the little girl in her still needed her father's strong arms and loving presence. Watching Nathan walk that path with a few stumbles, but mostly grace, made Elizabeth love him even more.

Carson and Faith were married in early June, just before Nathan and Elizabeth's anniversary. Stella caught the bouquet, while Hickam turned four shades of crimson.

Julie found out she was expecting soon after that, which was a source of great joy for the town, and Lucas was so proud that he handed out a cigar to every man who walked into the Queen of Hearts for an entire week. Impending fatherhood and the success of Le Bistro allowed him to do something he'd been thinking about for a while. The saloon was being used more for family events these days than anything else, but the men still wanted a place to play cards and have a beer once in a while. So Lucas expanded, building a large card room with a long bar in the back, and converting the saloon into a meeting space. He felt no need to change the name, as he said Julia Bouchard was now the queen of his heart and it was in honor of her.

The miracle of the summer was when Rosemary and Lee, right after Violet's first birthday, learned the same happy news as Julie and Lucas. Carson thought Rosemary might break his back she hugged him so tightly, and Lee even outdid Lucas on the cigars.

But what occurred toward the end of the summer, right in front of half the town, had people smiling just as much as any of the above.

As Bill and Nathan sipped their coffee on the boardwalk, the stage appeared. Continuing their conversation, they glanced casually at those exiting the coach, until Nathan heard Bill stop in mid-sentence and take in a breath that had him choking on his coffee. Nathan slapped him on the back a few times, but Bill still wasn't able to speak by the time a woman had walked on long legs and attitude all the way to where they stood.

Her hat tilted a little over her blonde hair, her eyes sparkling and a wicked smile on her face, AJ Foster stopped with her hands on her hips. "Well, Bill Avery, as I live and breathe. Wasn't sure you'd still be here, being a big important _judge_ and all."

Bill cleared his throat, but words still eluded him.

AJ laughed. "Never heard you so quiet. Perhaps you'd buy a lady a beer?" She put her arm through his and Nathan watched, chuckling, as Bill went with her, docile as a lamb. Right before they went into the saloon, AJ threw her head back and laughed. Bill turned and looked at Nathan with a smile and shrugged.

AJ never left Hope Valley.

* * *

Elizabeth handed Nate gently to Nathan while she finished feeding Becca. She was pushing slightly on the wood of the porch to keep the swing moving in small circles.

It was a warm night, late summer, and Nathan and Elizabeth and the babies had found themselves out on the front porch in the second swing they'd set up as soon as the snow stopped. They couldn't bring themselves to take the other one out of the sunroom, so now they had two places to rock the twins to sleep.

The sun was about half an hour from setting with the reflection on the pond beginning its transition from yellow to orange and finally to a deep red.

"I have a surprise for you," Nathan said to Elizabeth.

She raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "You are a constant surprise, my love," she said, her eyes soft. "You have been from the day I met you."

"Well, get ready for another one," he said, laying Nate down gently on the swing next to Elizabeth.

Then he bent and kissed Elizabeth slowly and tenderly, whispering, "I'll be right back."

Her eyes still closed, Elizabeth said, "I'll be right here."

She heard the front door close and looked out at the sunset. Squinting against the blaze of golden light, Elizabeth sighed. _Thank you, God, for this life, this man, these children, this town. Please don't ever doubt the gratitude that fills my heart every day for all I've been given..._

Behind her, she heard the door close again, and then, the soft strumming of a guitar. Nathan walked around and placed a stool across from her. He sat down and began to play. Then his voice, the voice she loved so dearly...

_The water is wide, I cannot cross o'er_

_And neither have I wings to fly_

_Give me a boat that can carry two_

_And both shall cross, my true love and I..._

Elizabeth didn't even wipe away the tears that fell as she listened. With Becca asleep on her lap and Nate's eyes closing next to her, she looked at Nathan.

"You've been practicing," she said, when he finished the song.

"I promised," he said to her.

"It's so beautiful, Nathan. Your voice..."

Nathan stood and set the guitar on the stool. He picked Nate up and put him on his chest gently, and then sat next to Elizabeth on the swing.

Nathan looked into her eyes, wondering if there would ever be a time that his breath wouldn't catch at the look of his wife in the light of the sunset. He leaned over, meaning to kiss her, and the door opened again.

"Interruptions," Nathan said nearly against her lips, and Elizabeth laughed softly.

Allie's voice came from behind them. "Are you two kissing again?"

"Not _yet,"_ Nathan said, smiling. "Who wants to know?"

"Jack and me," Allie said softly, just in case Becca and Nate were sleeping.

"Well, then, come here and see for yourself," Nathan said, "But quietly, we're just getting them to sleep."

Allie cuddled in next to Elizabeth, and Jack climbed up next to Nathan. The sun was in its splendor now, and heading down toward the other side of the world. They all sat in silence for a few moments.

"I don't want them to grow up," Allie said softly. She turned and gazed at Becca, watching as the final rays of the sun formed a halo in her downy dark hair.

Elizabeth smiled. "I know, we feel the same about you." She held Allie tighter. "It happens so fast."

Nathan shifted Nate and made space for Jack to climb up on his lap. He let his lips rest on Jack's head and pushed the swing gently.

"I'm going to enjoy every minute," Allie whispered.

Nathan looked at Elizabeth with a deep well of love in his eyes and said softly to Allie, "So am I."

Nathan snuggled up against Elizabeth and put his arm around Jack. They all watched in silence. In a perfect circle of love.

A family.

* * *

_Author's note: A huge thank you to everyone who came on this journey with Nathan and Elizabeth. You've been so supportive and kind in your comments, and it's meant so much that you've stayed through to the end! Now we'll look forward to seeing their love play out on When Calls The Heart._

_(And I hope you'll take a look at my new story: Love's Destiny. It's Nathan and Elizabeth, with a twist.)_


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